Morning Weather Report
Today
Sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
Increasing clouds, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tomorrow
A slight chance of showers before 8am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tomorrow Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Light north wind.
High Tides
11:26 AM / 11:43 PM
Low Tides
5:23 AM / 5:34 PM
Southport’s WAFU Surrenders Liquor License following June Shooting
Fairfield Police Department Press Release: In the aftermath of the WAFU Asian Bistro (3671 Post Road – Southport) shooting incident, which occurred on June 19, 2022, the Fairfield Police Department submitted a request for Summary Suspension of the Liquor License to the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP).
Today, we were informed by the Department of Consumer Protection, Liquor Control Division that the permittee has voluntarily surrendered their liquor permit.
They will NO LONGER BE PERMITTED TO SERVE ALCOHOL.
Any violations of law, which occurred on that date and previous are still under investigation by the Department of Consumer Protection.
The Fairfield Police Department would like to thank the DCP for all of their hard work and dedication in this case to ensure that the residents of Fairfield maintain their quality of life and that establishments are functioning within the confines of the law.
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 37 since Friday; State Positivity Rate Down, Hospitalizations Up
The State Department of Public Health reported 37 more COVID-19 cases in Westport since Friday. The State’s daily test positivity rate was down to 10.13% while hospitalizations were up to 298 patients throughout the State.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 5,408 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 37 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 10.13% [down from 10.84%]
State COVID-19 Hospitalizations: 298 patients [+18 patients]
Sandy “Girl” Bairaktaris, 13, Died; Best Dog Ever
Written by Jaime Bairaktaris, Executive Editor
Sandy “Girl” Bairaktaris, a rescued English Labrador Retriever mix, formerly of Redding, died at home in Westport Monday, July 11th, surrounded by her family and friends after a short & courageous battle with old age. She was (about) 13 years old in real time, 91 in dog-years, and forever three years old at heart.
Sandy was born in the South, given a name that didn’t fit, and shipped north by rescuers in Spring of 2009. My brothers and I saw her picture on the adoption website and convinced our mom to go “look” at her litter. “Not happening” was what we were told as we drove to the kennel; I had allergies, we were busy 11 year old triplet boys, and our dad didn’t like dogs. It wouldn’t work out.
That made it even more special as she slept on our leather car seat just an hour later as we drove home. She was plucked from the concrete floor of that dog kennel in New York - it would be the last time she would ever sleep on a surface that did not involve her universal luxuries: plush throw blankets, supportive pillows, memory foam mattresses, 4 different toys within reach, and most likely someone else’s spot in a bed. On particularly cold nights, she enjoyed a nice blanket over the top of her for good measure.
But with as much love and attention as she was given, as soon as a door was left open she would sprint into the woods like an abused kidnap victim. Even after her many lively adventures around the property, and sometimes our neighbors’, she never spent a night lost and away from home in her 13 years. Somehow we always caught up to her, or she would just come prancing into the house like the spoiled brat she was.
Sandy loved our childhood house in Redding, right on the corner of Cross Highway and Newtown Turnpike. We quickly trained her to walk on the leash with us to baseball games at the Boys & Girls Club so we could show her off to our friends. I quickly realized how important she was. No middle school boy is more popular than one who’s holding a puppy, so she was walked often - as much as possible - to every event imaginable. The best wingman ever.
Public outings became hard when she was in her teenage years and would eat every piece of food within jumping distance. Like a small fluffy shark, she would lunge with the power of 1,000 men and inhale whatever could be obtained without making as much as a sound. This was realized one night at a local concert when a small toddler holding a hamburger wandered within striking distance of our picnic blanket. Though she appeared sleeping to us, she managed to grab the burger from his hands and go right back to sleep on the blanket without a soul knowing - except the terrified toddler. (Yes, we bought him a new one. No, we did not pay for his therapy. I’m sorry, wherever you might be).
Adopting Sandy had benefits that surpassed the constant need to throw away urine-soaked carpets, to sit on couches that had crater-sized holes and missing stuffing, and the constant quote “we have to get home to let the dog out.” Even if she didn’t initially admit it, our mom enjoyed having another girl in the house. She would retrieve Sandy when we were being too “rough” with her, and spent hours with Sandy on her lap unless it was time for bed - when we so desperately attempted to crate train her. All of that hard work was cancelled after one week of us being away at sleepaway camp, when Sandy was allowed to sleep on the bed and never returned to the crate again for the rest of her life.
The best part of getting a puppy is going home to a puppy. One afternoon after school, we ran inside like every kid imagines when they come home to their new puppy - but couldn’t find her anywhere. Knowing our dog had been so special, we assumed that she must have been stolen from the house while we were out. 10 minutes later our dad pulled in the driveway, with the dog’s small ears poking up from the window of the red pickup truck.
The man who didn’t like dogs, mind you.
She moved with us to Westport two years later. She adjusted well to the coastal life and enjoyed her walks to Compo and along the shoreline. She became a fixture at Winslow Dog Park with my brother Joey, who truly claimed Sandy as the only sibling he’s only really wanted. So much so that Joey went away to university, he tried to sneak her into his housing with his roommates one semester. After several hours of whining and barking and his roommates not being able to sleep, she was driven the 2 hours back to Connecticut at two in the morning and was immediately comforted by the memory foam and soft blankets of her spot in bed that she apparently missed.
As with any childhood dog, there are so many stories in between these short moments. She helped us find friends, she helped us explore a new town with confidence, she remained a constant through parental divorce and a new school all of the battles of middle school and high school, and she was the best example of what a childhood dog should be. She came at the perfect time for three 11 year old boys.
This may all seem sweet, but there were many days early on when I couldn’t stand her: my skin swelled up if she licked me, she whined all night long during her crate training, the puppy biting was leaving us scarred, she never learned more than “sit” - and even that was a stretch some days - and food missing from the countertops got old quickly. But I’d do a lot to get just one of those sleepless nights, itchy hives, or puppy bites back just one more time.
Sandy will be remembered as an active member of the Winslow Park community, or simply as the yellow lab who smiled at you from her perch in the back of a black suburban whizzing by, and most importantly as the best dog there ever was - yes, even better than yours.
She lived out her final hours like a college kid: high as a kite while eating a gourmet hamburger, hotdog, and fries from Match Burger Lobster alongside her closest Winslow Dog Park friends and her family from the comfort of her bed on the living room floor. The solace we can find in her passing is knowing that she did so with dignity, without pain, with a belly filled with expensive food, on top of her favorite blanket, surrounded by the people who loved her. A blessing.
With thanks:
Thanks to Dr. Sally Kniffin at Redding Ridge Vet for caring for Sandy her entire life, especially on the days we’d walk Sandy to her office as middle schoolers, usually unannounced, and she’d help us with whatever stupid question we could come up with. Sally’s office and home was the only place Sandy ever slept comfortably besides our own - and thankfully - Dr. Kniffin made sure she rarely needed to. When old age caught up with Sandy a few weeks ago, Sally called every single day to check on her. Sandy and our family have never been alone in what can be hard days of raising a dog.
I also want to thank all of Sandy’s friends at Winslow Dog Park - all of whom I never met, as my brother and Sandy treasured their park time together. However most importantly to my brother’s (and Sandy’s) friend George for helping Sandy and loving Sandy just as we did. On several occasions I’d find George in our house sitting with Sandy just so she had company, something I can’t be more grateful for in these past few weeks. He also delivered her the Match burger, fries, and hot dog as her last meal - so he obviously knew her, and her expensive taste, very well - I’m sure she enjoyed every single bite.
A thank you to PawSafe Animal Rescue who rescued Sandy at just a couple of weeks old and gave three middle school boys a single way to bond while checking their website for puppies every day - and ultimately allowed us to have the best dog ever for 13 good years.
A final thanks to Final Journey veterinary services, lead by Dr. Kristen Klie, who allowed Sandy to pass in her favorite spot in our home yesterday. My family members who were home were comforted by their kind, compassionate, and caring team in what will always be one of the hardest moment of any dog owner’s life.
Sandy was my longest running photo subject while experimenting with my photography. As she grew up, my pictures did, too. She and I came a long way from selfies on our computer. Morning Weather Report
Today
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 9 to 15 mph.
Tonight
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Tomorrow
Sunny, with a high near 88. West wind 3 to 8 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
High Tides
10:30 AM / 10:48 PM
Low Tides
4:27 AM / 4:36 PM
UPDATE - Westport Police: Woman Found Dead in Car in Library Parking Lot
Westport Emergency Medical Service and Westport Police officers responded to the scene located in the public parking lot on Jesup Road, between the Westport Library and the Westport Police Department, just before 9:00 Sunday night. WestportLocal.com photoWestport Police Department Press Release:UPDATE 07.12.22
The deceased has been positively identified as Joanna Smith from Stratford, CT. As stated earlier, the matter remains under investigation, but no foul play is suspected.
ORIGINAL 07.11.22
On July 10, 2022, at approximately 8:40 p.m., Westport Police officers responded to the parking lot of 40 Jesup Road on a report that a car was running, and it appeared that a person was lying in the backseat. The first arriving officers determined that the occupant was notresponsive. Westport EMS also responded to the scene. Lifesaving efforts were attempted, but unfortunately the party was pronounced deceased. The deceased was tentatively identified as a thirty-four-year-old female from Stratford, CT.
The Westport Police Department’s Detective Bureau will be conducting the investigation into this untimely death. The body was transported to the Connecticut Medical Examiner’s office in Farmington. That agency will determine the cause and manner of death. The investigation is in the early stages, but no foul play is suspected.
The identity of the individual who passed away will not be released until the autopsy is completed.
Morning Weather Report
Today
Sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 5 to 13 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph.
Tomorrow
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. South wind 10 to 16 mph.
Tomorrow Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 70. Southwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming light after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
High Tides
9:31 AM / 9:51 PM
Low Tides
3:30 AM / 3:38 PM
Westport Police Assist at Fairfield Shooting; 15 Year Old Announced Dead
Fairfield Police Department Press Release: UPDATE:
Following the positive identification of the victim and notification of family, the Fairfield Police identify the victim from last evening’s homicide as:
Zion Burton, 15, of Bridgeport
Zion’s 16th birthday would have been on 07/15/2022 and on behalf of Chief Robert Kalamaras and the entire Fairfield Police Department, we offer our most sincere condolences to Zion’s family. Our investigators are working diligently, pursuing several leads to apprehend the person(s) responsible.
Again, we ask anyone who may have information leading to the death of Zion, please contact the Fairfield Police Detective Bureau at 203-254-4840 or anonymous tips can be sent following the instructions below.
First Release:
On Saturday July 9, 2022 at approximately 10:30pm the Fairfield Police Emergency Communications Center received several 911 calls reporting shots fired at the banquet hall to Calvin United Church located on Kings Hwy East near Hibiscus Street.
First arriving officers located an unresponsive male victim in the hall and immediately began life saving measures. The victim was transported to Saint Vincent’s Medical Center by AMR where he died as a result of his injuries.
Soon thereafter, police received notice that a female victim had arrived at the hospital suffering a gunshot wound to the jaw. She is currently listed in stable condition.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a large party was taking place at the banquet hall which was rented to a non-member and non-resident. A physical fight began and a single gunshot was heard causing several people in the banquet hall to disperse to the street. As people exited the banquet hall, three additional people sustained minor injuries that were not related to gunfire, contrary to what was dispersed on several media and social media venues. This was a single gunshot fired, which resulted in 2 victims being struck. One of which is deceased and the other has been released from the hospital.
The Connecticut State Police, Westport Police, Stratford Police, and Easton Police were called to assist with crowd control as Fairfield officers secured the crime scene.
This was an isolated incident, which all of the evidence indicates that the suspect knew the victim and fled the scene shortly after the shooting.
The Fairfield Police Detective Bureau along with the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crimes Squad are actively investigating this incident.
Our department sends its deepest condolences to the family for this senseless loss of life.
Anyone with information can submit an anonymous tip which can be submitted via the Fairfield PD mobile app or by texting the keyword FPDCT plus your message/tip to 847411 (Tip411). Tips can also be submitted online at fpdct.com/tips.
(Note: When sending a tip by text message, text keyword FPDCT to 847411, add a space, type in your tip information, and hit send.)