City science businesses to receive $600,000

Three small science-based businesses in the New Haven area are getting a total of $600,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy, Gov.M. Jodi Rell’s office announced Thursday. Omega-P, Inc., Precision Combustion, Inc. and Proton Energy Systems are receiving the funds for projects with commercial potential, one of which will recover gas from methane deposits and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the release said. “These funds will help companies build on research and development and strengthen the high-tech industries that flourish here because of highly skilled and education workforce,” Rell said in a statement.

—Esther Zuckerman

New Haven Register reporter to work for city

Elizabeth Benton ’04, formerly of the New Haven Register, was appointed City Hall’s new legislation and policy analyst. Benton, who will start May 19, will be the liaison to the Board of Alderman. “As a reporter, I had the opportunity to follow many of the city’s initiatives closely, from school change and school construction to prison re-entry and efforts to make this a more sustainable and livable place,” Benton said in a statement.

—Esther Zuckerman

Facebook friend receives East Haven mayor’s kidney

East Haven Mayor April Capone Almon is recovering after donating one of her kidneys to a Facebook friend, the Associated Press reported. Capone Almon said she dedcided to donate the organ to Carlos Sanchez, 44, after noticing one of his posts on Facebook in late August. Sanchez wrote on the website that his friends and family were tested but none were matches. The mayor, who was running for a second term, ended up being a match. The transplant took place two weeks ago.The two are both in stable condition.

—Egidio DiBenedetto

New school building will open Monday

The Metropolitan Business Academy Interdistrict Magnet’s new building at 11 Water St., which will open in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, is 78,768 square feet and has a full sized gym and new technological capabilities, such as video teleconferencing. The $42.7 million building, designed by SLAM Collaborative, will house 167 enrolled students in grades 9-12 who will study, among other things, digital media communications, financial services and commercial enterprises.

—Esther Zuckerman

College student robbed not once, but twice

It was a rough night for three students from Southern Connecticut State University. Just after midnight on Thursday the students got off at the wrong bus stop on Whalley Avenue and did not know how to get back to their school, according to police. Walking near Whittlesey Avenue, they were approached by two black men on bicycles. After one of the men took the students cell phones, one of the students chased the robbers, but lost them. As the student walked back toward his friends, another two black males approached him and stole his wallet and cellphone, possibly at gunpoint, the student told the officers.

—Colin Ross

Almost two years later, police arrest shooter

It took 23 months, but on Tuesday New Haven Police arrested the alleged culprit of a non-fatal shooting inside a downtown club. Police arrested Chaz Gulley, 25, for shooting George Connelly inside the Nikita Lounge on 200 Crown St. on May 3, 2008. Gulley was already incarcerated on other, unrelated charges, and was brought into court and given additional charges of assault, robbery, larceny and unlawful discharge. Police said enhanced video from a club security camera was key to cracking the case.

—Colin Ross

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