Investigators are probing the possibility that the 16-year-old driver in Sunday’s fatal and fiery single-vehicle crash fell asleep or was distracted before leaving the Hutchinson River Parkway.

Officials released the names Monday of the five young people killed in the crash that occurred around 12:20 a.m. between exits 12 and 13, north of the Mamaroneck Road exit.

They are Andrew Billips, 8, Shawnell Cross, 11, Zahnyiah Cross, 12, Malik Smith, 16, and Anthony Billips Jr., 17. Investigators say the family had recently moved to Derby from the New York City area, roughly 50 miles north of where the crash occurred.

MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://westchester.news12.com/police-5-juveniles-from-connecticut-killed-in-fiery-single-vehicle-crash-in-scarsdale">Police: 5 juveniles from Connecticut killed in fiery single-vehicle crash in Scarsdale</a>

<a href="https://westchester.news12.com/police-5-juveniles-from-connecticut-killed-in-fiery-single-vehicle-crash-in-scarsdale"></a>A 9-year-old boy, Abraham, was the lone survivor. He was riding in the rear hatchback cargo area and was able to escape the burning car by crawling out the back of the vehicle. He suffered injuries not considered life-threatening.

In a news conference, Westchester County George Latimer said that Smith did not have a driver’s permit or license in either New York or Connecticut. He also said that Nissan Rogue SUV was a rental from a relative.

Latimer said there was no indication that the vehicle had slowed around a curve in the road before leaving the roadway, striking a boulder, then a tree and bursting into flames. He also said that speed was not a factor and an eyewitness said that he was traveling the limit (55 mph).It is not clear if Smith or the passenger were wearing seat belts or exactly where they were coming from. Latimer said an unverified report had them returning from a family function in New Jersey.

He also said that the relationships between those inside the vehicle were not immediately clear but did include at least two sets of siblings.

The juveniles were not enrolled at any Connecticut school. Smith had been enrolled at a Brooklyn high school, Latimer said.

"This was a horrific accident. This was a horrific accident site," said Latimer. "We grieve with the families involved...these were individuals that had their whole life ahead of them."

Latimer said he hopes more details will come to light in the next 48 hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Officals: 16-year-old driver may have fallen asleep in Scarsdale crash that killed 5

NOW AND NEW: Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Steve Teeling says overnight will be clear and chilly with lows in the 30s. Tuesday will be sunny and warmer with highs in the upper-50s to near 60 degrees.

NEXT: The end of the week becomes unsettled with a few frontal boundaries affecting us into the start of the weekend. It looks like scattered showers for Thursday and Friday and possibly steadier rain for Saturday.

TONIGHT:  Clear skies and chilly. Low of 32.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny and milder. High of 58.

WEDNESDAY: A mix of clouds and sunshine. High of 55.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. High of 61.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. High of 54.

SATURDAY: Cloudy with periods of rain. High of 53.

Tuesday will be sunny and warmer with highs in the upper-50s to near 60 degrees.

Sunny and warm Tuesday with highs in the 50s

People continue to use the diabetes drug Ozempic for weight loss, and some are now using substitutes because the drug is so expensive.

The Ozempic TikTok challenge was all the rage last year. What people thought was a weight loss miracle came with serious concerns if not taken with the advice of a doctor. Supplies of the diabetic drug Ozempic are now more plentiful.

"So, people are going to the beauty spas to get Ozempic treatment particularly for weight loss," says Dr. Andrew Wong with Hartford HealthCare.

Because Ozempic is so expensive and may not be covered by insurance, people are looking for substitutes of semaglutide, which is the main ingredient found in Ozempic.

Doctors say compounding pharmacies are making these alternative drugs that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and they could be dangerous.

"Semaglutide can cause vomiting, it can cause abdominal pain, sometimes it can cause a life-threatening condition called pancreatitis," said Wong. 

The Yale School of Medicine did clinical trials of other diabetes-weight loss drugs and found more than a 20% weight reduction in people with obesity.  But they found side effects too.

"They would expect nausea, they could expect some vomiting sometimes more commonly constipation," said Dr. Jorge Moreno with the Yale School of Medicine.

Doctors say in some cases where Ozempic is too expensive, they can write a letter of support or an appeal letter to get the medication approved.

Wong says he hopes insurance companies and legislators will make drugs like Ozempic more affordable for people with obesity.

The Ozempic TikTok challenge was all the rage last year. What people thought was a weight loss miracle came with serious concerns if not taken with the advice of a doctor. 

Hartford HealthCare and Yale doctors warn of copycat weight loss drugs

Connecticut’s Board of Pardons and Paroles defended a huge jump in sentence commutations at a contentious hearing Monday. Former inmates said they earned their freedom, but some lawmakers and crime victims are angry at the new policy.

One of those victims is Katiria Sanchez. Her brother Edgar was murdered in Norwalk in 2007.

“That was very difficult because the entire time, I was prayerful and hopeful, and that prayer wasn't answered,” Sanchez told <a href="https://connecticut.news12.com/a-lot-of-people-loved-him-woman-remembers-brother-as-killer-gets-sentenced-reduced">News 12 Connecticut</a> in late 2021.

One of Sanchez's killers, Victor Smalls, could be released this year – because the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles shaved two decades off his 45-year sentence.

Smalls is part of a sudden spike in commutations. From 2016 to 2019, the board of only reduced five sentences, according to <a href="https://portal.ct.gov/BOPP/Research-and-Development-Division/Statistics/Historical">Board of Pardons and Paroles statistics</a>. That’s just 2.2% of all applicants. But over the past year-and-a-half, they've granted 71 commutations – 16% of all requests.

For hours Monday, Republicans on the legislature’s Judiciary Committee grilled board chairman Carleton Giles, a former Norwalk police officer. Giles insisted the policy wasn’t a sudden change, but originated with former Gov. Dannel Malloy’s Second Chance Society initiative of the mid-2010s.

“Second Chance Society is one thing,” said state Sen. John Kissel (R-Enfield). “Shaving off decades off of a sentence of a horrendous murder, that's a totally different thing.”

Those released early told lawmakers they've turned their lives around.

“I am an honor student at Asnuntuck Community College,” said former inmate Norman Gaines Jr. “Right now, I'm at 44% completion of my associate degree for human services.”

But victims have said they felt blindsided. Elizabeth Carlson was murdered, and her ex-boyfriend accepted a 42-year sentence in exchange for a guilty plea. But this year, he applied for a commuted sentence.

“The opportunity for commutation of his sentence in any manner was never, never an option brought to our attention,” said Carlson’s sister, Leslie.

Giles insisted all applications go through a thorough vetting process before inmates even get a hearing.

“Victims, as I said, are involved in our process, and we take very seriously the input and impact of victims,” said Giles.

Republican lawmakers recently called on Gov. Ned Lamont to halt commutations until a new system is created. Lamont said Monday he's open to changes, but the Board of Pardons and Paroles must keep its independence.

“We just have to decide as a legislature and as a state,” said Lamont. “We're not a ‘lock them up and throw away the key’ type of state.”

For Katiria Sanchez, none of it brings back her brother.

“At the end of the day, whatever decision is made is not going to take away that the fact that my brother isn’t with us anymore,” she said.

If Giles survives a committee vote this evening, the full legislature will decide whether to re-appoint him.

Former inmates said they earned their freedom, but some lawmakers and crime victims are angry at the new policy.

12 at the Capitol: Crime victims question big spike in sentence reductions

Stamford police are warning about a new money scam.

They say a resident was tricked into wiring more than $400,000 to a fake email account after attempting to purchase a home in Fairfield County.

This scam is often referred to as a "business email compromise."

The FBI recovered the money and returned it to the victim's account.

Police say a resident was tricked into wiring more than $400,000 to a fake email account after attempting to purchase a home in Fairfield County.

Stamford police warn of money scam after resident loses $400K

Former President Donald Trump’s calls for protests ahead of his anticipated indictment in New York have generated mostly muted reactions from supporters, with even some of his most ardent loyalists dismissing the idea as a waste of time or a law enforcement trap.

The ambivalence raises questions about whether Trump, though a leading Republican contender in the 2024 presidential race who retains a devoted following, still has the power to mobilize far-right supporters the way he did more than two years ago before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It also suggests that the hundreds of arrests that followed the Capitol riot, not to mention the convictions and long prison sentences, may have dampened the desire for repeat mass unrest.

Still, law enforcement in New York is continuing to closely monitor online chatter warning of protests and violence <a href="https://longisland.news12.com/trump-expects-to-be-arrested-tuesday-as-da-eyes-charges">if Trump is arrested</a>, with threats varying in specificity and credibility, four officials told The Associated Press. Mainly posted online and in chat groups, the messages have included calls for armed protesters to block law enforcement officers and attempt to stop any potential arrest, the officials said.

Around the time the Manhattan courthouse complex opened Monday morning, a New York Police Department truck began dropping off dozens of portable metal barricades that could be used to block off streets or sidewalks.

The New York Young Republican Club has announced plans for a protest at an undisclosed location in Manhattan on Monday, and incendiary but isolated posts surfaced on fringe social media platforms from supporters calling for an armed confrontation with law enforcement at Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago.

But nearly two days after Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday and exhorted followers to protest, there were few signs his appeal had inspired his supporters to organize and rally around an event like the Jan. 6 gathering. In fact, a prominent organizer of rallies that preceded the Capitol riot posted on Twitter that he intended to remain on the sidelines.

Ali Alexander, who as an organizer of the “Stop the Steal” movement staged rallies to promote Trump’s baseless claims that Democrats stole the 2020 election from him, warned Trump supporters that they would be "jailed or worse” if they protested in New York City.

“You have no liberty or rights there,” he tweeted.

One of Alexander’s allies in the “Stop the Steal” campaign was conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who amplified the election fraud claims on his Infowars show. Alexander posted that he had spoken to Jones and said that neither of them would be protesting this time around.

“We’ve both got enough going on fighting the government,” Alexander wrote. “No billionaire is covering our bills.”

That stands in contrast to the days before the Capitol riot when Trump stoked up supporters when he invited them to Washington for a “big protest” on a Jan. 6, tweeting, “Be there, will be wild!” Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol that day, busting through windows and violently clashing with officers in an ultimately failed effort to stop the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory.

Since then, about 1,000 participants have been arrested, many racking up steep legal bills and expressing regret and contrition in court for their actions. Some have complained of feeling abandoned by Trump. And conspiracy theories that the riot was fueled or even set up by undercover law enforcement informants in the crowd have continued to flourish online, with Trump supporters citing that angst as a basis for steering clear of a new large-scale protest.

“How many Feds/Fed assets are in place to turn protest against the political arrest of Pres Trump into violence?” tweeted Rep. Marjorie-Taylor Greene. The Georgia Republican also invoked a conspiracy theory that an FBI informant had instigated the Jan. 6 riot.

“Has Ray Epps booked his flight to NY yet?” she tweeted on Sunday.

Epps, an Arizona man, was filmed encouraging others to enter the Capitol. Conspiracy theorists believe Epps was an FBI informant because he was removed from a Jan. 6 “wanted” list without being charged. In January, the House committee that investigated the Capitol attack said the claims about Epps were “unsupported.”

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab who has tracked the “Stop the Steal” movement online, said anxiety over being entrapped by so-called agent provocateurs feeds a “paranoia that if they go and do violence, they may get caught and there may be consequences.”

“It seems to reduce a lot of people's willingness to make big statements about being willing to go out” and engage in violence, he said.

A grand jury is investigating hush money payments to women who alleged sexual encounters with Trump. Prosecutors have not said when their work might conclude or when charges could come. House Republicans on Monday wrote to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg seeking documents related to his inquiry, which they called “an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority.”

The conflicted feelings over how far to support Trump in his fight against prosecution extends into the political realm, including among fellow Republicans seen as likely opponents in the 2024 race.

His own vice president, Mike Pence, who's expected to challenge Trump for the Republican nomination, castigated Trump in an ABC News interview this weekend as “reckless” for his actions on Jan. 6 and said history would hold him accountable - even as he echoed the former president's rhetoric that an indictment would be a “politically charged prosecution.”

“I have no doubt that President Trump knows how to take care of himself. And he will. But that doesn’t make it right to have a politically charged prosecution of a former president of the United States of America,” Pence said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an expected GOP presidential candidate, criticized the Trump investigation on Monday as politically motivated but also threw one of his first jabs at the former president in a move likely to intensify their simmering political rivalry.

“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some kind of alleged affair. I can’t speak to that,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Panama City. 

But, he added, "what I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction and he chooses to go back many, many years ago to try to use something about porn star hush money payments, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office. And I think that’s fundamentally wrong.”

Former President Donald Trump’s calls for protests ahead of his anticipated indictment in New York have generated mostly muted reactions from supporters. 

Some Trump supporters ambivalent on calls for protests

Stamford-based non-profit Pacific House is expected to receive nearly $2.5 million in state funding to build affordable housing units in the city.

Pacific House currently provides emergency shelter for people experiencing housing insecurity.

Pacific House says it plans to construct 39 new affordable and supportive housing units in a four-story building on Stillwater Avenue.

The complex will include a mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units to serve individuals and families.

The ground floor will include offices for Pacific House's headquarters, where the non-profit plans to provide case management services.

Gov. Ned Lamont says&nbsp;the funding is expected to be released under the state's recently launched Community Investment Fund 2030 program.

Lamont says authorization for the funding to be released will be on the agenda for the State Bond Commission's next meeting.

Nonprofit to receive nearly $2.5 million to build affordable housing in Stamford

TSA officials discovered a double-edged dagger inside the carry-on bag of a man at Bradley International Airport, officials say.

The discovery was made Sunday during a security screening.

Connecticut State Police responded to the airport and confiscated the knife.

 The 39-year-old man was eventually allowed to continue through the airport.

TSA discovers double-edged dagger inside passenger's bag at Bradley Int'l Airport

At least three people were injured Monday after a car crashed&nbsp;into a Bridgeport building.&nbsp;

The crash happened in&nbsp;the first&nbsp;block&nbsp;of Stewart Street at 7:32 a.m.&nbsp;

Officials say the people involved in the crash all suffered minor&nbsp;injuries, and&nbsp;that two of the people were inside the car and one person was inside the building at the time of the incident.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The building is owned by the city of Bridgeport.&nbsp;

The building department was on the scene to inspect the building.&nbsp;

Officials say the people involved in the crash all suffered minor injuries, and that two of the people were inside the car and one person was inside the building at the time of the incident. 

Officials: 3 people hospitalized following car crash into Bridgeport building

Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County is receiving $2 million in federal funding to build more than a dozen new homes in Bridgeport, Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced Monday. Carolyn Vermont, Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County CEO, says the nonprofit builds around 10 homes for families in need each year.

"The mortgage never exceeds more than 30% of their household income," Vermont explained.

With the federal funding, Vermont says the nonprofit will more than double its house production this year.

Vermont says the money will go toward building 14 single-family homes near Chopsey Hill Road and Summit Street in Bridgeport.

Blumenthal was in the Park City Monday to make the announcement.&nbsp; Meanwhile, Gov. Ned Lamont was in Stamford Monday to&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconnecticut.news12.com%2Fnon-profit-to-receive-nearly-25-million-to-build-affordable-housing-in-stamford&amp;data=05%7C01%7CJLEDERMA%40news12.com%7C4506151372b2411546c608db296482c7%7Ccf535dc073fc41eaa17417f37ced7fe7%7C0%7C0%7C638149283885414253%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=TmC0MDXeyde%2FUzLS8778ILPeTWvCHy2jOLpmuxsRIDc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">announce progress that's being made on the housing</a>front there.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pacific House, which already has an emergency shelter in the city, is planning to convert a four-story building on Stillwater Avenue into an affordable housing complex thanks to nearly $2.5 million in state funding.

The additional housing in Bridgeport and Stamford comes as the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness has been fighting for more funding for the state's homeless response system.

The coalition says the system is underfunded and understaffed while homelessness in Connecticut is on the rise.

At Habitat for Humanity, Vermont says the nonprofit's waitlist for families seeking homes has tripled, adding the organization will have to continue relying on grant money to keep up with the demand.

"The money that we receive just helps us to build more homes to impact the lives of more families," Vermont said. 

Vermont says she expects Habitat for Humanity to break ground on the new homes by the end of the year.

The money will go toward building 14 single-family homes near Chopsey Hill Road and Summit Street in the Park City.

Habitat for Humanity awarded $2M to build 14 homes in Bridgeport

Taco Bell is heating up its menu this summer with the return of the fan-favorite 'Volcano Menu.'

The fast-food restaurant <a href="https://www.tacobell.com/news/taco-bell-soon-to-erupt-with-volcano-menu-comeback-this-summer">announced the menu</a> will feature the Volcano Burrito and Volcano Taco along with lava sauce that can be an option to add to any item.

The menu was established in&nbsp;1995, and this&nbsp;summer's&nbsp;return will mark&nbsp;the third time it'll be available for fans.

Customers can look for the menu starting June 29 with rewards members having exclusive early access beginning on June 27.

The fast-food restaurant announced the menu will feature the Volcano Burrito and Volcano Taco along with lava sauce that can be an option to add to any item.

Spicy fan-favorite on Taco Bell menu from the 90s gets summer revival

Adama Sanogo scored 24 points and Jordan Hawkins delivered from the 3-point line in the second half as UConn pulled away from Saint Mary’s for a 70-55 win on Sunday that put the Huskies in the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years.

No. 4 seed UConn (27-8) advanced to the West Regional in Las Vegas on Thursday. Next up is eighth-seeded Arkansas, which knocked off No. 1 seed Kansas.

Sanogo followed up his 28-point game in the Huskies’ NCAA tourney opener against Iona with another powerful and efficient performance in the paint. The 245-pound junior was 11 for 16 from the floor and grabbed eight rebounds, dominating a big-man matchup with Mitchell Saxen (six points, three rebounds and four fouls).

Saint Mary’s (27-8) of the West Coast Conference failed to get out of the first weekend of the tournament for the second straight season as a No. 5 seed.

Aidan Mahaney and Logan Johnson each scored nine for the Gaels, who played the final 25 minutes without third-leading scorer Alex Ducas. The senior left with an apparent back injury.

UConn used a 14-2 spurt, highlighted by a 3 from Hawkins with 11:28 left in the second half, to go up 51-40.

Hawkins had been scoreless to that point, but he added another 3 coming off a screen moments later to make it 56-45, and the “Let’s Go Huskies!” chants started to reverberate throughout MVP Arena.

Hawkins wasn’t done, making back-to-back 3s to make it 62-47 with 6:38 left. He finished with 12 points.

Meanwhile, the Huskies defense was clamping down on the Gaels, who were held under 60 points for just the fourth time this season.

The Gaels and Huskies played a practically even first half, with both shooting 44.4% from the field, and closing strong. Mahaney made a 3 with 21 second left to put Saint Mary’s up 30-28 and Newton responded with a 3-pointer 18 seconds later that put the Huskies up 31-30 at half and brought the pro-UConn crowd to its feet.

Saint Mary’s: The Gaels have reached the Sweet 16 just once in program history in 2010.

Coach Randy Bennett, in his 22nd season at SMC, and the Gaels have been Gonzaga’s closest rival in the WCC. They snagged No. 5 seeds each of the last two seasons, the best seeding for any team outside the six power conferences not named Gonzaga since 2014.

UConn: The Huskies last played in the second weekend of the tournament in 2014, when they won the last — and most surprising — of four national titles in a 15-year span.

The Huskies’ last title run came out of the American Athletic Conference, the league birthed from the Big East’s football-basketball breakup in 2013.

UConn went with the football schools and played seven years in the AAC, where its football program floundered while its vaunted men’s basketball slipped into irrelevance.

The Huskies returned to their Big East roots, hiring former Seton Hall point guard Dan Hurley as coach five years ago and rejoining the conference three seasons ago, and they have been on the rise ever since.

Ducas was helped off the court with 4:52 left in the first half.

The team’s most accurate 3-point shooter and third-leading scorer went down to his knees and started reaching for his lower back after no apparent contact. He was attended to by the team’s athletic trainers and then assisted off the court after trying to take a step on his own. He went right to the locker room and did not play the rest of the game.

Ducas scored 17 points in the Gaels’ first-round victory against VCU and had eight more when he went out.

UConn: The Huskies are 3-1 all-time against Arkansas.

Sanogo, UConn pull away from Saint Mary’s, into Sweet 16

Five juveniles from Connecticut were killed in a single-vehicle crash in Scarsdale just after 12:20 a.m. Sunday.  

Westchester County police say six juveniles were in a Nissan Rogue believed to be driven by a 16-year-old on the Hutchinson River Parkway when their vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree and caught on fire just north of the Mamaroneck Road exit.  

Authorities say four males and a female ranging in age from 8-17 were killed in the crash.  

Police say the sole survivor was a 9-year-old boy who had been riding in the rear hatchback area and escaped out of the rear of the car. He was taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla with non-life-threatening injuries.

Matt Conway, the 
superintendent of schools in Derby, Connecticut, said he learned the 
children were part of a family that recently moved to the New Haven 
County community from New York but had not enrolled in the district. 
Conway said he reached out to the father on Sunday and offered to 
provide him information about available supports in the community for 
him and his family. He planned to talk with the father again on Monday.

“It’s
 the unimaginable. Having to now make arrangements for five of your 
children to be buried is a very difficult thing for anyone — one child, 
never mind five that you’re going to have to now make arrangements for,”
 Conway said. 

Police
 said the vehicle crashed at about 12:20 a.m. and is under 
investigation. Derby is roughly 50 miles north of Scarsdale. 

Authorities have not yet released any details about the victims or the circumstances surrounding the crash.

State Rep. Kara Rochelle shared a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/our-5-children?utm_source=facebook&amp;fbclid=IwAR0KkL3aDbN-ipaLIGRfKZtv8UF5tsL6SdQoYmZNIG1sr3Bgopb3fuOwIHw&amp;mibextid=Zxz2cZ">GoFundMe link</a> in support of the family.

AP Wire Services contributed to this report.

Authorities say four males and a female ranging in age from 8-17 were killed in the crash.

Police: 5 juveniles from Connecticut killed in fiery single-vehicle crash in Scarsdale

Experts say social media and telehealth are to blame in the high demand of&nbsp;Ozempic, which&nbsp;is used to control blood sugar in diabetic patients.

They also believe the prescription weight loss drug market is also to blame for Ozempic's popularity as it mimics an appetite-regulating hormone.

The FDA announced the shortage&nbsp;in August, but says&nbsp;that the supply will be strained throughout the month of March.

The FDA announced the shortage in August, but says that the supply will be strained throughout the month of March.

Demand for diabetes treatment drug soars as Ozempic shortage spikes in March  

A well-known Bridgeport nonprofit has started a counseling program to not only help kids, but reduce violence in their community. 

Color a Positive Thought's Talk Through Our Hurt gives kids the opportunity to see a licensed therapist at the Trumbull Gardens Community Center. 

The nonprofit's founder says there is a disparity between Bridgeport and surrounding communities when it comes to access to mental health services. 

"It's important because a lot of the kids we service are hurting," says 39-year-old Bridgeport resident Harry Bell. "The best thing they can do with hurt is to share it, so they can get over it." 

Bell, who grew up in Trumbull Gardens, lost his mother to a drug overdose when he was just 8-years-old.  

Decades later, he founded the free program to help children enduring similar trauma.  

“A lot of these kids see things inside the home and outside the home that they hold in, and it's hurting them,” said Bell.  

One of the licensed therapists taking part in the program is Kevin Alexander Payne, a U.S. Navy combat veteran who counseled military personnel on the front lines in Afghanistan. 

"We want to get them while they're young, have them learn to express themselves and not hold these things in,” he said.  

The counseling has already received praise from the community. Bridgeport resident Quantae Flemming, 19, credits the program with helping him find a better path in life. 

"It's better to express yourself and talk to a higher up that knows what's going on and what's good for you,” he said.  

Color a Positive Thought's Talk Through Our Hurt gives kids the opportunity to see a licensed therapist.

Talking it out: Bridgeport nonprofit launches free counseling program for kids

The Bridgeport community is coming together to help a woman from a rare skin condition.

Noemie Gomes, a nurse, is suffering from Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which causes severe burns to the skin.

She says it was triggered by a reaction to a common antibiotic she took called Bactrim.

A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/noemie-da-cruz-gomes-medical-recovery-fund?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&amp;utm_content=undefined&amp;utm_medium=copy_link_all&amp;utm_source=customer&amp;utm_term=undefined">GoFundMe</a> was set up to help Gomes, who has a son with autism, as she recovers at home.

"The pain was just awful. I was on morphine drips... all the narcotics you can possibly imagine. The pain was not controlled," Gomes says.

She says she used to be a champion fitness competitor but is now simply fighting to recover.

Bridgeport rallies for woman who suffers from rare skin condition

Stamford police are warning the public about a local money scam.&nbsp;

They say a resident was tricked into wiring over $400,000 to a fake email account after attempting to purchase a home in Fairfield County.&nbsp;

This scam is often referred to as a business email compromise.&nbsp;

The FBI was able to recover and return the money to the victim’s account. 

Police say a resident was tricked into wiring over $400,000 to a fake email account after attempting to purchase a home in Fairfield County. 

Police: Stamford resident tricked into wiring over $400K in email scam

A Bridgeport nonprofit that promotes health equity is now working with the United Nations.

Dr. Dana Wade, CEO of Monitor My Health, tells News 12 the organization has been awarded a formal affiliation with the United Nations Department of Global Communication.

Its mission is to build awareness worldwide about the U.N.'s role in reducing chronic diseases among vulnerable populations

"We have a voice at the United Nations, we have a platform where we can share the work we are doing in the community," Wade says.

Wade says Monitor My Health is one of 13 non-government organizations to achieve this recognition.  

Bridgeport health equity nonprofit awarded formal affiliation with United Nations

Some frozen fruit mix products sold at Trader Joe's and Costco have been recalled due to an outbreak of Hepatitis A.

Scenic Fruit Company of Oregon issued the recall for its Organic Tropical Fruit Blend, a product containing pineapple, bananas, strawberries and mango.

The company says consumers can destroy the product or return it for a refund.

From the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-hepatitis-virus-infections-frozen-strawberries-february-2023">FDA</a>:&nbsp;

California Splendor Recall: Kirkland Signature 4-lb. bag Frozen Organic Whole Strawberries in certain states with specific lot codes.

Scenic Fruit Recall: frozen organic strawberries with the following brand names and Best By Dates distributed to specific states: