Connecticut

A Bible was set on fire beneath a Christmas tree in New Haven, Conn., at around midnight on Monday, causing $1,200 in damages, it was reported.

Police and firefighters responded to a call, and found a Bible soaked in some kind of fluid and placed on the feeder cables that power the lights around the tree. The power was turned off to prevent further damage, and responders extinguished the fire without much trouble.

The Parks Department has since repaired most of the damage and the 65-foot spruce tree’s lights have been restored, The Hartford Courant reported. more >>

A Connecticut divorce judge ordered a splitting couple to share their Facebook account passwords.

The injured husband, Stephen Gallion, of New London, accused his wife Courtney Gallion of writing incriminating posts on Facebook about her feelings towards their children and her ability to care for them on the couple's shared home computer.

The wife was also ordered to hand over passwords for her extramarital eHarmony and Match accounts. more >>

Travelers on at least four planes were stranded on the tarmac of an airport in Connecticut for more than seven hours Saturday leaving some without food, water or working toilets.

At least three JetBlue and one American Airlines planes were diverted to Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Conn., after severe winter weather left the planes unable to land in the New York-area airports.

One JetBlue plane with at least 100 people on board departed from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., but was unable to land in Newark, N.J. The plane landed at the Connecticut airport at about 2 p.m. Saturday, but passengers were not allowed off the plane until 9 p.m., according to reports. more >>

The U.S. Navy honorably discharged a sailor as a religious conscientious objector after he sued the military branch.

Ensign Michael Izbicki was released from the Navy Wednesday after a two-year battle to be discharged as a conscientious objector.

A recent graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy, Izbicki was in the process of suing the Navy with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union for his release. He dropped the lawsuit when the branch decided to grant him CO status. more >>

The Enfield Board of Education in Connecticut decided Tuesday night to re-enter a court battle over holding graduations at a church.

Just days after voting not to appeal a federal judge's ruling barring two high schools from holding graduations at First Cathedral, the board reconvened for a re-vote and chose to rescind its previous action.

"If we don’t appeal it, we’re somewhat saying we acknowledge or validate that opinion," said Greg Stokes, chairman of the board, according to NBC Connecticut. more >>

The board of education in Enfield, Conn., voted Thursday against appealing a federal judge's ruling barring two high schools from holding graduations at a church.

In a 5-4 vote, board members decided not to file an appeal. They subsequently voted to hold the ceremonies at the schools later this month.

The decision shocked Vincent McCarthy, the attorney with the American Center for Law and Justice which was representing the Enfield school district in the case. He was looking forward to arguing the case more fully in the court of appeals and said they had a good chance. more >>