Apartment Look

GARDINER — Fire heavily damaged a two- story apartment building at 33 Spring St. in Gardiner Tuesday , leaving about eight people homeless. No one was injured in the blaze that was reported around 10:12 a.m. and appeared to originate on the first floor. By 11 a.m., firefighters from Gardiner and multiple surrounding communities had knocked down the bulk of the fire, but they continued to look for hot spots for more than an hour after that, removing sections of the building to do so. “It’s a terrible loss,” said Sharon Geroux, one of the building’s co-owners. Choking up, she continued, “The building was not even the biggest loss. My cat’s dead, I’m sure. I couldn’t get her out of there. There was so much smoke.” Two families were living the complex, which included four apartment units and a beauty salon that was operated by Geroux, 56. Sharon Geroux lived in one of the first-floor units with her 59-year-old husband, Richard Geroux. Her 80-year-old mother lived in a separate unit and...

Update: West Nile Virus SOUTH WINDSOR — The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station announced that mosquitoes trapped in 12 towns have tested positive for West Nile virus so far this season. The towns include: Branford, Glastonbury, Greenwich, North Branford, North Stonington, Orange, Plainfield, South Windsor, Stamford, Stratford, West Haven, and Westport. To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes residents should: Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active; be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair; wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active; clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin; use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect small babies when outdoors; consider the use of mosquito repellent , accord...