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Josh Lanier

Assistant Managing Editor

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Josh Lanier started his reporting career in high school for his local newspaper. Many — many — years later, he’s still chasing leads for compelling stories. During his time writing for newspapers, magazines, and online publications, he’s covered everything from murderers to mommy bloggers, but his most interesting story is always the next one.


Josh Lanier's Contributions

News
Tick Takeover: Pleasure Beach Shuts Down For 2025 As Invasive Insects Overrun Shore Tick Takeover: Pleasure Beach Shuts Down For 2025 As Invasive Insects Overrun Shore
Tick Takeover: Pleasure Beach Shuts Down For 2025 As Invasive Insects Overrun Shore Pleasure Beach, Bridgeport’s beloved shoreline getaway, is closed through the 2025 summer season after city officials discovered an infestation of invasive Asian longhorned ticks. Bridgeport officials announced the closure on Facebook after "extensive consultation with state environmental experts." The Asian longhorned tick has established itself on the shoreline as part of its fast-moving spread across the Northeast. Related: Clone-Creating Tick Invades Connecticut: Health Officials Sound Alarm What makes this tick especially concerning is its ability to reproduce asexually. Unlike most t…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Bobcat Carpool: Fuzzy Fare Evaders Hitched Ride Hiding In CT Truck Engine Bobcat Carpool: Fuzzy Fare Evaders Hitched Ride Hiding In CT Truck Engine
Bobcat Carpool: Fuzzy Fare Evaders Hitched Ride Hiding In CT Truck Engine A Suffield shop owner got the surprise of his morning commute when he popped the hood of his pickup and met two wide-eyed, spotted stowaways. Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police say the bobcat kittens somehow clung to the engine compartment for the eight-mile trip north from Somers to Suffield, proving once and for all that felines really do have nerves of steel. “Officer Heath and ACO Selig (Suffield PD) spent over an hour chasing these two furballs all over the underside of this truck!” the department wrote in a Facebook post. After a gentle game of hide-and-seek with paw…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Motorcyclist Charged In I-91 Windsor Crash That Killed 20-Year-Old East Hartford Rider Motorcyclist Charged In I-91 Windsor Crash That Killed 20-Year-Old East Hartford Rider
Motorcyclist Charged In I-91 Windsor Crash That Killed 20-Year-Old East Hartford Rider A Connecticut motorcyclist was traveling at high speed on an I-91 off-ramp when he lost control of the bike and crashed, killing a 20-year-old woman riding with him, police said. Randy Carrero, 33, of Manchester, faces charges of first-degree manslaughter, reckless endangerment, speeding, and failure to maintain his lane, Connecticut State Police said Wednesday, July 2. Valerie Eaton was riding as a passenger on Carrero’s Yamaha YZF600R on Aug. 31, 2024, around 5 p.m., as it sped down I-91 South, police said. A motorcyclist herself, Eaton was wearing a GoPro camera that recorded the crash t…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Grand Jury Indicts Holland Man On 1st-Degree Murder Charge Grand Jury Indicts Holland Man On 1st-Degree Murder Charge
Grand Jury Indicts Holland Man On 1st-Degree Murder Charge A Massachusetts grand jury has indicted Jonathan Poirier on murder and gun charges in the death of 29-year-old Austin Schepper of Sturbridge, deepening a case that has gripped several small towns. Poirier, 35, of Holland, is charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery with a firearm, two counts of conspiracy to traffic guns, two separate theft charges, and unlawful possession of both gun and ammunition, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said.  He remains held without bail and is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing on July 14. Schepper had been missing for more than…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Police ID Stamford Man Found Dead In Car; Officers Investigating Cause Police ID Stamford Man Found Dead In Car; Officers Investigating Cause
Police ID Stamford Man Found Dead In Car; Officers Investigating Cause Police have identified the 43-year-old Stamford, Connecticut, man who was found unresponsive in a parked vehicle Monday, July 1, and later pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Mark Pjetri was found around 1:50 p.m. near Avery Street and Cove Road in Stamford. A caller told police they banged on the vehicle’s windows and shouted to wake him, but Pjetri didn't respond. Officers and paramedics arrived minutes later and pronounced him dead. The cause of death remains under investigation. Investigators ask anyone with information to contact Sgt. Boeger of the Stamford Police De…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Mass Officer Shot By Fellow Cop While Being Served Restraining Order ID'd As New Mom Mass Officer Shot By Fellow Cop While Being Served Restraining Order ID'd As New Mom
Mass Officer Shot By Fellow Cop While Being Served Restraining Order ID'd As New Mom A North Andover police officer is recovering in the hospital after she was shot by a fellow officer during a call to her home involving a restraining order. Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons was off-duty when three of her coworkers, including a supervisor, came to her house on Phillips Brooks Road in North Andover on Monday, June 30, to serve her with a court-approved restraining order, authorities said. That’s when, authorities say, something went wrong. "When one of the officers was escorting Ms. Fitzsimmons during the service of the court order, an armed confrontation took place," said Essex Co…

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by Josh Lanier
News
4 Hospitalized After Car Careens Off I-91 In Longmeadow Rollover Crash 4 Hospitalized After Car Careens Off I-91 In Longmeadow Rollover Crash
4 Hospitalized After Car Careens Off I-91 In Longmeadow Rollover Crash Authorities are asking drivers to be careful after the second major crash happened on I-91 in Longmeadow in 48 hours.  The most recent crash happened Tuesday afternoon, July 1, when a car left the interstate near the Connecticut state line and rolled over into a tree, Longmeadow firefighters said.  All four people inside were taken to area hospitals. The car was shredded in the crash, but miraculously, no one suffered any life-threatening injuries.  This is the second serious crash in Longmeadow in as many days. 

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Weymouth Woman Who Stole $1.2M From Holbrook Glass Company Gets 3 Years In Prison Weymouth Woman Who Stole $1.2M From Holbrook Glass Company Gets 3 Years In Prison
Weymouth Woman Who Stole $1.2M From Holbrook Glass Company Gets 3 Years In Prison A Weymouth woman who stole more than $1.2 million from her employer over two years is heading to jail after pleading guilty to multiple charges of theft and fraud, authorities said.  Ashley Sumner, 39, admitted to embezzling funds while working as an accountant for Allstate Glass in Holbrook. Sumner used her position to make unauthorized credit card charges, wire transfers, and direct deposits to herself, the Norfolk County District Attorney said.  “The defendant was a trusted employee with access to company credit cards who was responsible for the payroll and paying the company’s…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Caught With Fake DEA Gear, Knife, Masks, Ammo During Shoplifting Bust in Greenwich: Police Man Caught With Fake DEA Gear, Knife, Masks, Ammo During Shoplifting Bust in Greenwich: Police
Man Caught With Fake DEA Gear, Knife, Masks, Ammo During Shoplifting Bust in Greenwich: Police A New York man was arrested in Greenwich after a simple shoplifting accusation led police to fake DEA badges, tactical gear, and illegal weapons in his car, police said.  Gentian Gjana, 33, of Yonkers, faces multiple charges following his arrest on Thursday, June 26.  Officers were called to a Greenwich store around 1 p.m. after an employee reported that a man and a woman stole a pair of $548 sunglasses, authorities said.  Police found Gjana nearby soon after. He denied taking the sunglasses, but officers said the surveillance video backed up the store's accusation.&nbs…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
9 People Caught In North Korean Spy Plot That Conned US Companies To Fund Weapons Program: DOJ 9 People Caught In North Korean Spy Plot That Conned US Companies To Fund Weapons Program: DOJ
9 People Caught In North Korean Spy Plot That Conned US Companies To Fund Weapons Program: DOJ A New Jersey man and eight foreign nationals from China and Taiwan have been charged in Boston in what federal officials call a major scheme to secretly funnel money to North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction program. Zhenxing “Danny” Wang of New Jersey was arrested and accused of helping North Korean IT workers pose as Americans to get remote jobs with American companies, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  The workers allegedly used stolen identities to land jobs at major businesses, including a defense contractor. Authorities say this scam helped generate at least $5 million …

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by Josh Lanier
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