Newtown Weighs Fate Of School Where 26 Died

Newtown residents have turned their attention to the fate of an elementary school where a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators last month. About 200 people attended a public meeting Sunday on what to do with Sandy Hook Elementary School. Opinions were mixed on whether the school should be torn down. Audrey Bart has two children who were at the school on the day of the shootings but weren't hurt. She says children shouldn't lose the school they love. But Stephanie Carson says she wouldn't want her son to ever go back into the building. Officials are holding another meeting Friday and hope to make a decision about the school's future by the spring. Sandy Hook students and staff have relocated to another school in a neighboring town.

Family Of Shooting Victim Proposes Reforms

The family of the youngest victim in the Connecticut school shooting is recommending laws and suggesting federal funding for school security in a proposal to the White House. One law proposed by the family of Noah Pozner would require anyone with knowledge of an "imminent threat of serious physical harm or death" to notify a law enforcement agency within 24 hours. The family also recommends giving grants to schools to improve security. Noah's uncle, Alexis Haller, says the proposal dated Sunday was sent to the White House. Vice President Joe Biden is heading a task force on gun violence. Noah was one of 26 people killed last month in a massacre at a Newtown elementary school. He turned 6 just three weeks before being shot 11 times at close range.

Governor Malloy Offers  Biden Gun Control Ideas

 Governor  Malloy has told Vice President Joe Biden that the federal government should reinstate a ban on assault weapons and outlaw high-capacity ammunition magazines in the wake of the Newtown school killings. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Malloy wrote to Biden on Friday that Congress also should require background checks for all firearm purchases, federal firearm licenses and gun show transactions. Malloy told Biden, a fellow Democrat, that Connecticut has some of the strongest gun control laws in the country, and a new state commission will be making recommendations regarding school safety, mental health services and gun violence prevention. Biden leads a federal task force on curbing gun violence and is expected to give the panel's recommendations to President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

Police Report Surge In Gun Permit Requests

Police in several Connecticut towns say they've seen a large increase in gun permit applications since the Newtown school shootings last month. Milford Police Chief Keith Mello told the New Haven Register that the number of gun permit applications in his town has doubled since a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He says the department has handed out 44 applications in the past month, compared with 20 in the same period last year. Police in several other towns including Seymour, Branford and Middletown also are reporting increases in permit applications. Statewide figures weren't immediately available. Gun dealers around the country say they've seen a spike in gun sales in response to Newtown and renewed talk of a federal ban on assault weapons.

Newtown Superintendent Will Be On Washington, DC Panel

Newtown Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson is traveling to Washington, D.C., to discuss gun violence prevention. Robinson is scheduled to be part of a panel discussion on Wednesday. It's being organized by House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro co-chairs. The hearing is titled "Gun Violence Prevention: A Call to Action." The event is expected to focus on what can be done to prevent future gun violence based on the experience of the panelists. It comes a little more than a month after a lone gunman killed 20 first graders and six educators at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. He also murdered his mother before later committing suicide.

Bill Would Require Coverage Of PTSD Claims

The co-chairman of a state legislative committee says the panel plans to introduce a bill allowing claims of posttraumatic stress disorder to be covered under Connecticut's workers' compensation laws, in response to the Newtown school shootings. Democratic Sprague Sen. Cathy Osten says the Labor and Public Employees Committee will introduce the bill in the coming days. Newtown's Board of Police Commissioners is asking legislators to change the workers' compensation laws to provide appropriate benefits to police officers and others who've suffered physical and emotional injuries "as a consequence of their heroic efforts" on the job. The Newtown police union said some officers who responded to the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School are too traumatized to work and have relied on sick time or donations to covers their salaries.

Man Faces Sentencing For Credit Card Scam

 A Philadelphia man faces sentencing in Connecticut for stealing credit cards from women's pocketbooks he reached while crawling on movie theater floors. Anthony Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Hartford. A jury in October found him guilty of charges of using stolen credit cards and identity theft. Authorities say Johnson and accomplices used the stolen cards to collect thousands of dollars in cash advances at Mohegan Sun casino and make retail purchases of tens of thousands of dollars in Connecticut and elsewhere. An accomplice testified that Johnson usually bought tickets to movies that were popular with women. She said Johnson slithered like a snake across movie theater floors before reaching inside partially opened purses and taking the credit cards.

Waterbury Names Interim Police Superintendent

Waterbury Deputy Police Chief Vernon Riddick Jr. has been named interim superintendent of the city police department, becoming the first African-American to lead the force. The Republican-American of Waterbury reports Mayor Neil O'Leary named Riddick to the interim job Saturday. O'Leary appointed Riddick deputy chief in 2009 when O'Leary was police superintendent. The 46-year-old Riddick is a lifelong Waterbury resident who joined the city force in 1994. He says he's honored to serve as the city's top cop. Riddick will serve until a formal search for a new superintendent is completed and the city's Civil Service Commission approves O'Leary's choice for the job. Riddick's salary hasn't been determined. The range for police superintendent is $91,000 to $116,000.