WFSB - Eyewitness News

Large fire destroys newly renovated buildings at Silver Sands Beach in MilfordMILFORD, CT (WFSB) – A fire destroyed a controversial construction project at Silver Sands State Park in Milford on Tuesday evening, according to authorities. Officials said they would provide an update around 9 a.m. Wednesday. Stream it <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/news/livestream/" target="_blank">here</a>. Several 911 calls reported a "large fire" in the area of East Broadway and Silver Sands State Park, according to Milford Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi. Upon arrival, Fabrizi said firefighters located three buildings on fire, two of which were fully-involved. Firefighters used a "defensive attack." Officials determined the buildings housed a concession stand/dining area, public restrooms, and an office. The buildings were part of a $9 million renovation project. The project was expected to be completed for the Memorial Day Weekend. It was a project that <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/news/many-voice-concerns-over-silver-sands-construction/article_b461d8b2-113a-5f12-8ae2-a0b6afdd6d90.html" target="_blank">many people in the city spoke out against</a>. "We’re treating it as an active an open investigation," said Capt. Keith Williams, DEEP environmental conservation police. "We’ll see if any of those leads to if it was arson related or not. We’re looking into that, but like I said at this time, it’s really early in the investigation and it’s really going to unfold once daylight comes." There were no reported injuries on Tuesday night's fire. It was knocked down in two hours, Fabrizi said. The cause is under investigation. Firefighters from the Stratford and West Haven fire departments provided mutual aid for Milford.
They're not kids anymore: Stranger Things 3 trailer debuts(WFSB) - It's going to be a strange Fourth of July. Netflix released a trailer on Tuesday for the third season of its hit show Stranger Things. Check out the trailer <a href="https://youtu.be/YEG3bmU_WaI" target="_blank">here</a>. The show returns to the streaming service with new episodes on July 4. It centers on a group of friends whose sleepy town has dealt with monsters and alternate universes that stemmed from a top secret government installation. The first two seasons took place while the members of the group were children, the new trailer shows them as teenagers. Stranger Things stars Gaten Matarazzo, Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour and Winona Ryder. Cary Elwes and Jake Busey are included among this season's new faces.
Spring arrives today, storm brings heavy rain tomorrowHARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - Spring may be in the air on Wednesday, but Channel 3's meteorologists are monitoring the potential for heavy rain Thursday into Friday. Meteorologist Mark Dixon said after temperatures exceed 50 degrees on Wednesday, rain will arrive as soon as Thursday. "Scattered areas of light rain will be possible during the morning [Thursday,] but steadier and even heavier rain is likely later in the day and at night," Dixon said. Temperatures should hang around the mid-to-upper 40s. The storm, which will move northward, will continue into early Friday. The rain should end, but some showers may be possible throughout the day. When it's all said and done, between a half an inch and 1 inch of rain may have fallen in parts of the state. "In addition to some rain, wet snow is possible in the higher elevations," Dixon said. "Furthermore, a gusty northwest wind will develop." The first weekend of spring starts out chilly with highs in the 30s and 40s on Saturday. For Sunday, however, temps could near the 60 degree mark. Read the complete technical discussion <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/weather/technical_discussion/" target="_blank">here</a>. For weather updates on smartphones and tablets, head <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/site/station_info/apps" target="_blank">here</a> or text "WFSB" to 23765 to download the Channel 3 app.
Crash snarls morning commute on I-384 in ManchesterMANCHESTER, CT (WFSB) - A crash has slowed traffic on Interstate 384 in Manchester. According to state police, several vehicles were involved in the crash on the westbound side of the highway near exit 2. There's no word on injuries or a cause. For real-time traffic updates, check the Channel 3 traffic map <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/traffic/" target="_blank">here</a>.
TRENDING NOW: Groton flash mob, Duck Hunt, mullet march, super bloomA flash mob by teachers in Groton, a hockey Duck Hunt celebration, a mullet fundraiser and a super bloom. Those are the stories trending on March 20.
Dairy Queen giving away free ice cream cones on WednesdayOMAHA, Neb. (Meredith) — Dairy Queen is offering free ice cream cones on Wednesday to celebrate the first official day of Spring. Ice cream lovers can nab a free small vanilla soft-serve cone at participating, non-mall locations. The offer is valid all day on March 20 and limited to one per customer. “We love that our tradition of Free Cone Day has become synonymous with return of warmer weather and bringing people together,” <a href="https://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/News/#faq_group_1_header" target="_blank">s</a><a href="https://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/News/#faq_group_1_header" target="_blank">aid</a> Maria Hokanson, Executive Vice President of Marketing for American Dairy Queen Corporation. “We know the start of soft-serve season brings joy to our fans, and we can’t wait to help spread smiles.” The company is also collecting donations for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals on Wednesday. Over the past 32 years, Dairy Queen restaurants has raised more than $130 million for the hospitals in local communities.
HOMETOWN SCRAMBLE: A spring themeHere's a spring-themed Hometown Scramble on March 20.
March Madness arrives in HartfordHARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - March Madness has arrived in Hartford. The XL Center is hosting several NCAA men's basketball games starting on Thursday. It's part of the Division I men's basketball tournament. It's expected to generate millions of dollars through the weekend. <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/news/hartford-prepares-for-march-madness-lineup-on-thursday/article_0742f8aa-4993-11e9-a4fb-afd247635445.html" target="_blank">Teams from across the country</a> will face off between Thursday and Saturday. It's been 20 years since the tournament last had games in Hartford. More than 25,000 people are expected to attend the games with even more filtering in and out of local businesses. Businesses on Pratt Street should be bustling at noon on Thursday with a pop-up pub and live music. Ahead of the tournament, Channel 3 spoke with the president and CEO of the Metro-Hartford Alliance. He said they're expecting more than a $7 million impact to the local economy by way of hotel stays, restaurants and shopping. “It brings people to Hartford, it’s an opportunity to highlight the people who may have not thought to come to Hartford," said David Griggs, president and CEO, Hartford-Metro Alliance. Download a March Madness bracket <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/ncaa-men-s-basketball-bracket/pdf_a0745d72-4964-11e9-b886-73c66f6ab1d9.html" target="_blank">here</a>.
PD: Serious crash closes Route 79 in DurhamDURHAM, CT (WFSB) --A serious one vehicle crash closed Route 79 in Durham on Wednesday morning, state police said. The crash happened in the area of Route 79 at South End Avenue around 4 a.m. Route 79 is closed indefinitely between South End Avenue and Sand Hill Road. Click <a href="https://goo.gl/73KPVX" target="_blank">here</a> for traffic updates. State police did not have any information about injuries. Stay with Channel 3 for updates as they come available.
Crews battle fire at home in BristolBRISTOL, CT (WFSB) -- Crews battled a fire at a home in Bristol on Tuesday evening. An official said firefighters were called to Beths Avenue around 10 p.m. Crews located heavy fire after opening up the roof to the house. The fire was knocked down quickly, according to a fire official. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Red Cross is helping the residents. No injuries were reported.