Murphy, McMahon To Meet In 3rd  Senate Debate

Republican Linda McMahon and Democratic Congressman Chris Murphy are meeting in their third of four debates in Connecticut's hotly contested U.S. Senate race.  The latest match-up is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. at the Garde Arts Center in New London.  The hour-long debate will be broadcast live on MyTV9 by WTNH-TV. It will also be live-streamed on www.theday.com and www.WTNH.com. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. and audience members must be in their seats by 6:45 p.m.  The debate is sponsored by The Day of New London, the Garde, WTNH and the Robinson & Cole law firm.  A fourth debate is planned for Oct. 18 in Hartford.  Polls show McMahon and Murphy are in a close race to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman.

New Haven Police Make 2 Arrests In Child Shooting

New Haven police say they've made two arrests in the drive-by shooting of a 16-month-old boy last week.  Police announced Sunday that two young men believed to be affiliated with the "Grape Street Crips" gang were arrested. They said officers recovered two guns believed to have been fired during the drive-by, but they released few other details.  Tramire Miller was shot in the stomach Wednesday while he was being held by his aunt on the front porch of a home on Kensington Street. He underwent surgery and is recovering at home. Police have said they're certain the toddler was an innocent bystander.     Police are investigating whether Tramire's shooting was related to other gunfire that day on Stevens Street. They say there's a known feud between the Grape Street Crips and the Kensington Street-based "Tre Bloods."  A news conference was scheduled for today.

Fire Damages Milford Synagogue, Torahs Saved

 An 85-year-old synagogue in Milford listed on the National Register of Historic Places was heavily damaged by a fire, but firefighters were able to save the congregation's two Torah scrolls and other important items.   Rabbi Schneur Wilhelm of the Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont says fire officials told him an electrical problem started Sunday morning's blaze, which destroyed the synagogue's sanctuary. It was reported by a police officer shortly before 9:30 a.m.  Wilhelm says the synagogue was insured and the congregation will rebuild it. He says the two Torah scrolls are somewhat damaged and will be assessed to see if they can be restored. Construction of the synagogue was completed in 1927, a year after the congregation was formed. It is near Long Island Sound in a neighborhood dubbed "Bagel Beach."

Motorcyclist Dies In Meriden Highway Crash

State police are trying to determine why a 22-year-old man lost control of his motorcycle in a fatal crash on Interstate 691 in Meriden.  Troopers say James Davis of Meriden struck a car he was trying to pass on the westbound side of the highway and crashed his 2007 Kawasaki motorcycle on Saturday night. Davis died from his injuries.  State police say Davis was wearing a helmet.

 Sex Offender Charged With DUI In Vernon

 Vernon police say a man who kidnapped and raped a 6-year-old boy in 1997 has been charged with DUI after driving on the wrong side of Route 83.  Police say 43-year-old Efrain Morales of Mansfield was arrested early Sunday morning after an officer saw him driving the wrong way on a divided section of the road. Authorities say Morales failed several sobriety tests at the scene.  Morales was held on $25,000 bail.  The state's sex offender registry says Morales was convicted of first-degree sexual assault in Connecticut in 1998 and was released from prison last year. It's not clear where the attack happened.

Connecticut GOP Uses Malloy Against Democratic Hopefuls

His name will not be on the ballot, but Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is emerging a key figure in this year's election.  Republican legislative candidates in Connecticut are taking aim at the Democrats they claim "rubber-stamped" the governor's positions. Among those is a state budget that increased taxes $2.6 billion over two years.  Republican House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr. says political mailers are now hitting voters' mailboxes that tie many incumbent Democratic lawmakers with the governor, who has suffered from lackluster poll numbers for much of his two-year tenure.  Roy Occhiogrosso is the governor's senior adviser. He says Malloy told the Democratic leaders in the Legislature that "if I can help you by being there, I will. If I can help you by not being there, I will."

   DMV Marks Teen Safe Driving Week With Student Talk

  Students at a high school in Middletown will be receiving some safe-driving tips from their peers. Four students from a Department of Motor Vehicles advisory committee are giving a talk Monday for the student body at Mercy High School.  Sunday marked the start of national Teen Safe Driving Week. The DMV says Monday's event will also be attended by the state's attorney general and representatives from the Governor's Highway Safety Office and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association.  Studies show teen drivers are involved in crashes at four times the rate of adult drivers.

  'Great Gatsby' Chosen For UConn Reading Program

A committee at the University of Connecticut has chosen "The Great Gatsby" as this year's selection for a school-wide reading program.  University President Susan Herbst started the annual UConn Reads program last year as a way to bring together students, staff, alumni and the wider community.  The 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald was chosen from nearly 200 classic fiction titles nominated by a selection committee.  Committee chairwoman Anne D'Alleva, a fine arts professor, says the book set on Long Island in the Jazz Age offers abundant learning opportunities, given its references to the music of the era and numerous film and television adaptations.  The inaugural book selection was "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide," a nonfiction work by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.