Human Remains Found At Old Rockville Landfill

Vernon police are investigating what appear to be human remains found in a wooded area that was once the Rockville landfill. Adam Viens of Vernon says he was walking through the woods Wednesday afternoon looking for scrap metal to make a sculpture when he found what appeared to be a human skull. Town police say they're trying to determine whether any crime was committed and how long the remains were there. State police brought in cadaver dogs to search the area. Police say it's too early to tell whether the remains are those of anyone in a missing person case. Local residents are wondering if the remains are those of one of three girls who disappeared in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Malloy's Newtown Panel To Discuss Early Report

Governor Malloy's commission that's reviewing the Newtown school shooting is deciding what to include in an interim report to the governor. The 16-member Sandy Hook Advisory Commission is scheduled to meet today to discuss possible early recommendations, as well as items that need further consideration. The group is expected to release the interim report publicly on Monday. Malloy's panel of experts is charged with reviewing current policy and making recommendations on school safety, mental health and gun violence prevention. Also Friday, legislative leaders were scheduled to continue closed-door talks on a possible bipartisan package of law changes that address the mid-December massacre. Lawmakers are expected to review the interim recommendations from Malloy's group. The leaders have said the General Assembly may vote on a bill this month.

Colt Shuts Plant And Brings Workers To Talk With Lawmakers

The president of one of the nation's oldest gun manufacturers says he's concerned Connecticut lawmakers are just trying to pacify in-state gun companies as they debate proposed gun control legislation. Dennis Veilleux (VAY'-yoo), president of Hartford-based Colt's Manufacturing Co., questions whether lawmakers truly understand the ramifications of various proposals. Yesterday, he closed the Colt plant and bused about 400 workers to the state Capitol so they could personally tell legislators their livelihoods may be at risk. Veilleux told The Associated that if Connecticut bans AR-15-style, semi-automatic rifles, Colt's customers will take their business to another brand. Legislative leaders have been trying to craft a bipartisan response to the Newtown school shooting for an upcoming vote. Meanwhile, a legislative committee heard testimony Thursday on numerous gun control bills.

Roof Collapse Injures 5 At UConn Medical Center

Five construction workers have been injured in a roof collapse during renovation work at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Spokeswoman Carolyn Pennington says the accident occurred at about 2 p.m. Thursday in the research section of the facility, and none of the injuries were life threatening. She said the workers were taken to the hospital's emergency room for treatment. She said four had been released, and the fifth was expected to be released last night. Their names were not immediately available. Pennington says the damage was limited to a single room and the accident did not affect patients or staff at the center. No evacuations were needed.

Higher College Tuition In Connecticut Advances

Connecticut's state universities moved a step closer to increasing tuition for nearly 100,000 students. The Finance Committee of the Board of Regents for Higher Education approved the tuition and fees increase yesterday. The board governs four state universities, 12 community colleges and Charter Oak State College. For instate students living on-campus at universities, tuition and fees would increase next year by 4.1 percent, to $778, or $19,897 a year. Community colleges would charge 5.3 percent more, or $188 for full-time students, to $3,786 a year. Finance Committee Chairman Gary Holloway said officials understand that tuition and fee increases are difficult for students. Officials initially believed they'd have to consider a double-digit increase, which was not necessary. The Board of Regents, which must approve the tuition increases, meets on March 21.

SD Regents CEO Finalist For Connecticut Job

The CEO of the South Dakota Board of Regents is one of three finalists for the job of president of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education. KCCR reports that Regents CEO Jack Warner is one of the finalists to lead the Connecticut State College & Universities system, which consists of four universities, 12 two-year colleges and a public online college. Warner says he was not looking to leave South Dakota, but has family in Rhode Island and is one of the reasons he agreed to be a finalist. Warner has led the South Dakota higher education system since 2009. Before that, he was the commissioner of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education for seven years.

Connecticut Supreme Court Hears Appeal Of Disciplined Doctor

The state Supreme Court has heard arguments in the case of a New Haven pediatrician who says the Connecticut Medical Examining Board was wrong to discipline him for the way he treated two children with Lyme disease. Dr. Charles Ray Jones believes in treating Lyme disease with long courses of antibiotics, a view many in the medical community say is unproven. Jones' supporters say many doctors fail to properly diagnose and treat the disease, leading to needless suffering by thousands of people. Jones was reprimanded, fined $10,000 and put on two years' probation by the Examining Board in 2007. The board said Jones diagnosed two children with Lyme disease and prescribed antibiotics without examining them. The Supreme Court heard Jones' appeal of the board's decision Thursday but didn't immediately rule.

United Tech Sees $1B Or More In Share Buybacks

The chief financial officer of United Technologies Corp. says the aerospace giant expects to spend at least $1 billion buying back shares this year. CFO Greg Hayes told analysts Thursday that the Hartford, Conn., conglomerate has a strong cash position. United Technologies had $4.82 billion in cash on the balance sheet at the end of 2012, and Hayes said that will soar to $12 billion with free cash flow and money from divestitures. He said the company spent $350 million for buybacks in the first quarter and will likely spend the same in the second quarter. The $18.4 billion purchase of aerospace parts maker Goodrich Corp. last year appears to have been a good bet. Hayes said airlines have made money in the last three years and should continue to.