Hundreds Of Thousands Still Without Power

Around 400-thousand Connecticut utility customers remain without power this morning as crews continue dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.  Connecticut Light and Power says they expect to get most of their customers back online by the weekend, although for some remote areas it will not be until the middle of next week.  United Illuminating says they expect to have their number of outages under ten-thousand by the weekend.  Governor Dannel Malloy has urged the utility companies to provide daily outage updates to keep residents informed.

Malloy Tours Shoreline Irene Damage

Governor Malloy yesterday toured several locations in Fairfield County that were hard hit by Irene.  Malloy was joined by Congressman Jim Himes in Fairfield, where they saw massive damage to communities along the shoreline.  Malloy also toured hard hit areas of Bridgeport and his hometown of Stamford.  Monday, Malloy observed the massive damage from the storm from a National Guard helicopter.  The governor says that he believes this is the largest magnitude storm Connecticut has ever seen.

Malloy To Tour Eastern Connecticut Damage

Governor Malloy today will tour the damage caused in Eastern Connecticut by Tropical Storm Irene.  Malloy will make stops in Pomfret, Sprague and Ledyard to get a close up view of the damage, and speak to residents and town officials about the local situation.  Eastern Connecticut suffered severe wind damage from the storm, leaving much of the area without electricity.  Malloy toured storm damaged areas of Fairfield County yesterday.

UConn Football Game Tomorrow Postponed

The University of Connecticut football game against Fordham scheduled for tomorrow night at Rentschler Field in East Hartford has been postponed.  The stadium is currently being used as a commodities distribution center for towns that are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.  There are around 100 members of the Connecticut Army National Guard at Rentschler Field, and they have been sleeping on cots on the stadium concourse.  The school expects to play the game Saturday.

Irene Victims Warn Of Home Repair Scams

The state Department of Consumer Protection is warning residents with damage from Irene not to use unregistered home improvement contractors.  Commissioner William Rubenstein says hiring an unregistered contractor could be costly if the consumer is overcharged or defrauded.  All home improvement contractors must be licensed by the state, and are required to display their license number on all advertising, business cards and vehicles.

Attorney General Warns Of Gasoline Price Gouging

Attorney General George Jepsen is warning gasoline retailers and wholesalers that it is illegal to charge excessive prices during abnormal market conditions.  Jepsen says he has extended the notice of abnormal market disruption for energy resources until September 6th.  Jepsen says the extension is warranted because much of the state remains without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.  State officials are asking residents to help stabilize markets by conserving gasoline, limiting driving and not topping off their tanks.

Courtney Tours Eastern Connecticut Damage

Congressman Joe Courtney toured several eastern Connecticut towns to survey the damage from Tropical Storm Irene.  Courtney says he is calling for the the federal government to help deal with the historic power outages in the state.  Courtney says the power situation is especially dire in Eastern Connecticut, where many entire towns remain completely without electricity.  Connecticut Light and Power says they do not expect to have everyone back online until the middle of next week.

Body Found In Burlington Identified

State Police have identified the body found by a jogger on the side of a Burlington road as 28-year-old town resident Bryan Urso.  Police say they did not notice any visible trauma to Urso's body, but the death has been deemed untimely.  The state medical examiner will be conducting an autopsy to determine the manner and cause of Urso's death.

East Haven Community Reeling From Storm

Residents of East Haven's Cosey Beach community continue to struggle to cope with the destruction of their neighborhood by Irene.  East Haven officials lifted the evacuation order yesterday and returning residents found their homes destroyed, many picked up and carried away by the storm surge.  At least two dozen homes on Cosey Beach are either destroyed or structurally unsound because of Irene.