In Bethel, police have arrested a high school student who they say had weapons and drugs in his car on school property. 18 year old Garrett Foscato is now facing some serious charges, including possession of a weapon on school grounds, possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana by someone under age 21. Bethel Police say the vehicle was searched as it was parked on school property. For now, Foscato is free on a promise to appear in court on Tuesdsay.

First responders were called out to a house fire on Hollow Drive in Brookfield on Sunday. The first call came in yesterday afternoon just before 1:30 about the flames at the three story home. Other firefighters were called in from other area departments, including New Milford, Danbury, Bethel, and Newtown. One firefighter had to be taken to the hospital in Danbury after suffering from exhaustion. Nobody else was hurt. The fire was brought under control in about an hour, but damage was said to be extensive. The Red Cross is assisting those who lived there. The cause remains under investigation.

Mayor Dean Esposito says he wants to create an agency to explore and pursue grant opportunities for the City of Danbury and its non-profit and business communities. The mayor says the new agency will have two main goals. It will serve as the center point for the city to explore all grant opportunities, partnering all city departments, as well as the Board of Education. The office will also serve as a hub for non-profits and businesses to pursue grants on the local, state, and federal levels.

The Danbury Police Activities League is a nonprofit volunteer-driven organization aimed at providing youth in our area with many programs and services aimed at meeting their mentoring, athletic, and recreational needs. A recent “Dining for Dollars” event was held at the LongHorn Steakhouse in Danbury to benefit the nonprofit, and it was successful. Guests could request that up to 10% of their total dining bill be donated to the effort, and last week a check was presented at the restaurant for $400… money which will help the Danbury Police Activities League meet their goals.

The owners of a 102-year-old horse farm offer are now offering to sell their land to Danbury for what has been termed a ‘negotiable’ price of $1.75 Million. If the current Happy Trails Farm on Mountainville Road is acquired by the city, it would mean more open space for education and possible expansion of nearby parks, including Rogers Park, Tarrywile Park, and the Old Quarry Nature Center. The deal with Ed and Lucy Prybylski, the owners of Happy Trails, calls for a five-year lease-back plan, meaning the farm would keep operating for a few more years.

Some members of the Danbury Fire Department are now among the highest paid employees in the city. In fact, 7 members of the fire department are now in the top ten list of the highest paid Danbury City workers because of a lot of overtime they are putting in. Danbury’s highest paid municipal worker is Fire Lt. Shaun McQuade, who earned $204,500 in the current fiscal year, according to city payroll records. Four other fire lieutenants and two firefighters also made the top 10 list, which also includes two police officers and the public works director.

Western Connecticut State University is one of 20 colleges and universities in Connecticut that will now get a share of CT Health Horizons, a three-year, $30.5 million initiative created in a partnership between the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the state’s Office of Workforce Strategy, the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, multiple state agencies, and the Connecticut Hospital Association. Western Connecticut State University will receive $1.6 million over the next three years.

Danbury Police arrested 28 year old Edison Bueno-Tenempaguay of Danbury on charges of luring and debauching the morals of a child after learning that a child from Bergen County was being engaged in sexually explicit conversations on social media. Investigators say on several occasions, Bueno-Tenempaguay attempted to arrange to meet the child, and he described sexual acts he had planned. Bueno-Tenempaguay is now in custody here in Connecticut, and he will be extradited to New Jersey to face them. The investigation meanwhile, is ongoing.

Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito on Thursday, announced a Task Force for the creation of the Office of Federal, State and Local Grant Opportunities. The task force will pursue opportunities for the City of Danbury and it’s non-profit and business community. It will partner with all city departments, as well as the Danbury Board of Education, and will serve as a hub for non-profits and businesses to pursue grants at not only the local level, but also state and federal levels.

A long running investigation has led to the arrest of 3 Danbury residents on drug charges. 29 year old Robert Stevenson was taken into custody during a traffic stop Thursday. 2 other people in the car were also arrested. They are only identified so far as a 30-year-old Danbury man who was found in possession of cocaine, and a 29-year-old Danbury woman who was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. The 30-year-old Danbury man and the 29-year-old Danbury woman were released on a written promise to appear.