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Police Blotter: Troop B
Nov 12, 2025
Police Blotter: Troop B
John Coston
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Larceny warrant served
On Nov. 3, troopers arrested Shawn Keefner, 36, of Great Barrington, Massachusetts on an arrest warrant regarding an incident that occurred in 2017 at Salisbury Bank. After being charged with fifth degree larceny and third-degree forgery, Keefner was released on a $1,000 cash bond. He is scheduled to appear at Torrington Superior Court on Nov. 17.
Vehicle stuck on train tracks
On the afternoon of Nov. 3, Craig Scott, 75, of Great Barrington, Massachusetts made an improper turn off Orchard Street in North Canaan onto the railroad tracks, where his Chevrolet Malibu became stuck. His vehicle was towed from the tracks, and he was issued a written warning for the incident.
Operating under the influence accident
On the evening of Nov. 5, troopers responded to a single-vehicle accident on Flat Rocks Road in Cornwall. The driver, Jennifer Niksa, 34, of Cornwall stated she was distracted by her phone and drove off the roadway, ending up in the ditch. After investigating, troopers charged Niksa with operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and failure to maintain lane. Niksa was uninjured in the incident but the Volvo V60 Cross Country she was driving had to be towed from the scene after sustaining disabling damage. She is scheduled to appear at Torrington Superior Court on Nov. 19.
Car rolls on Warren Hill Road
At around 1 a.m. on Nov. 6, troopers responded to a single-vehicle accident on Route 45 in Cornwall resulting in a rollover. Upon arriving, troopers evaluated the driver, Kristy Weber, 29, of Amenia, New York for injuries, but she was uninjured and declined medical attention. Her vehicle, a Chevrolet Equinox, was towed from the scene. Weber was issued a written warning for failure to maintain lane.
Unsafe passing accident
At around noon on Nov. 7, Vanessa Wallen, 41, of Torrington was attempting to turn left into the Citgo gas station off Routes 4 and 7 near Cornwall Bridge when a vehicle behind her attempted to pass on the left, sideswiping the driver side of the Acura TI Wallen drove. The vehicle was disabled and had to be towed from the scene. Brittany Galante, 27, of Torrington was found at fault for the incident and was issued a citation for unsafe passing and improper passing on left. The Subaru Forester she drove was able to be driven from the scene. Wallen was issued a misdemeanor summons for operating with a suspended license. Neither was injured in the accident.
Fence strike remains under investigation
Early in the afternoon on Nov. 7, a vehicle traveling west on Route 4 near the intersection with Cornwall Bridge Road veered off the shoulder and struck approximately 40 feet of fence at 530 Cornwall Bridge Road. There is no description of the driver or the vehicle, which is purportedly a Toyota Camry, and the case remains active. Anyone with information may contact Troop B at 860-626-1820 or Trooper Colon #1159 at jean.colon.carattini@ct.gov.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Contact us by mail at P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send an email to editor@lakevillejournal.com
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SALISBURY — At its regular monthly meeting Monday, Nov. 3, the Board of Selectmen recognized the service of several outgoing officials: Selectman Chris Williams, John Landon of the Inland Wetlands Commission, and Marty Whalen and Michael Klemens of the Planning and Zoning Commission.
All four chose not to seek reelection.
During the meeting, First Selectman Curtis Rand reported that after numerous and lengthy discussions with state officials, it has become clear that the state will not cover any costs related to relocating the train station building on Ethan Allen Street.
Rand said the cost of digging a new foundation and moving the building back several feet from its current position (away from the buildings on the other side of the street) would be in the neighborhood of $400,000.
Williams said further action would require the Board of Finance to weigh in and a town meeting, and Rand agreed.
Once the building is moved, Rand continued, the town would be “very competitive” in getting a state grant to restore the train station.
The selectmen have been talking about moving the train station for years, mostly because it is frequently hit by trucks trying to maneuver in an awkward roadway.
Rand said that the town will be getting a new resident trooper as of Nov. 15. Former resident trooper Will Veras took a new job with the State Police, and the position has been filled temporarily by troopers.
Rand said he has been in touch with garbage haulers that recently started serving customers in town and were unaware of the Salisbury-Sharon Transfer Station, sticker fees, and the town’s overall policies on waste disposal.
And Rand requested anyone willing to help out with the town’s Christmas decorations to get in touch with his office.
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A truck owned by Qc Dry Bulk LLC, a freight hauling business, rolled off Lower Road Thursday, Nov. 6.
Tom Carley
Rescue crews were called to several emergencies around the Northwest Corner Thursday, Nov. 6.
Allyndale Road in North Canaan was closed in the morning as fire departments battled flames at a hay barn in the vicinity of Sodom Road. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
On Lower Road, between Route 7 and the quarry in North Canaan, a triaxle dump truck overturned. Troop B reported the vehicle exited the roadway on the right-hand side, struck a wire rope guardrail and a tree, then rolled over down an embankment. The driver, Joseph Baldarelli, 39, was found at fault and issued a citation for failure to maintain lane. Crews worked to pull the truck up onto the road.
At about 9:30 p.m. that night, multiple emergency crews responded to a structure fire at Lime Rock Park. The fire began in the Outfield Kitchen and was contained by firefighters from several area departments. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Lakeville Hose Company was first on the scene at Lime Rock Park to respond to a structure fire that began in the Outfield Kitchen Thursday, Nov. 6.Provided
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Anthony Marx
Patrick L. Sullivan
FALLS VILLAGE — Anthony Marx, president of the New York Public Library, said the country’s largest library is maintaining its core values while encountering serious challenges.
Marx spoke at Housatonic Valley Regional High School Friday evening, Nov. 7, in a Salisbury Forum presentation.
Marx started working at the NYPL in 2011. He said that until he took the job he didn’t realize that while the library has almost 100 branches, none of them are in Brooklyn or Queens.
“We are not a city agency,” he said, while acknowledging that some 60% of the library’s revenue comes from city coffers. “It makes for interesting conversations at budget time.”
The library has a $1.48 billion endowment and raises between $80-100 million in private fundraising per year.
Marx said one big challenge is misinformation, which “spreads faster than truth.” He cited discouraging trends, such as a national decline in reading in general and long-form reading in particular, and shortened attention spans driven by the use of smart phones.
He said that despite the radical increase in communications capabilities, isolation is on the rise.
The good news, he continued, is that people are using the NYPL more than ever, in different formats (books, audiobooks, podcasts).
A related challenge is artificial intelligence. Marx said “for the first time in 130 years” people are checking citations with the NYPL’s librarians, only to find the citations are phony.
“AI is hallucinating,” Marx said, and the designers care more about speed than accuracy.
“We care a lot about truth and accuracy.”
He said the solution for the NYPL is to provide training in AI and to use it to enhance the services the library already provides.
He noted the NYPL has 65 million books, give or take. The goal is to make as much of the collection as possible available online.
Many books are out of print but still under copyright protection. In these cases, Marx argued that the library isn’t harming the copyright holders, since the book isn’t available anyway.
And if enough people request a certain title, perhaps a publisher would be willing to bring out a new edition.
“AI can help with that.”
Ultimately the NYPL will create its own AI, “based on our collection so you can trust it.”
Marx said the NYPL’s branch libraries have historically functioned as outposts of education and community involvement. The NYPL is the largest provider of English as a Second Language classes in the city.
“And yes, we teach immigrants, and we don’t ask about their status because we don’t want them found through us.”
Marx said the library is also trying new things, such as building 175 units of affordable housing over one branch, and using branch libraries as a hub to broadcast free broadband wifi because “between 1.5 to 2 million New Yorkers do not have broadband at home.”
And the branches themselves are being renovated. “We’ve spent a billion so far.”
Marx said, despite the headwinds, “we don’t change what we do. We double down.”
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