Mother, child die in Conn. fire

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) – A woman and her young daughter died Wednesday morning in a two-alarm fire at a house with no working smoke detectors, fire officials said.

Ramona Holliday, 30, and her 2-year-old daughter, Trisha, were on the second floor of their apartment in the Ridge Avenue house when the fire was reported shortly after 6 a.m., Bridgeport city spokeswoman Caryn Kaufman said.

Ramona Holliday’s father, 59-year-old Javis Holliday Sr., was on the first floor and was rescued by a city police officer. He was in critical condition Wednesday night at Bridgeport Hospital.

The house’s owner, Jose Echevaria, declined to comment on the lack of working smoke detectors, the Connecticut Post reported.

Girl accused of racial slur, threats

ANSONIA, Conn. (AP) – Police have arrested a 16-year-old girl on a hate crime charge stemming from an incident at Emmett O’Brien Technical High School earlier this month.

The girl, a student at the school, was arrested late Monday. She allegedly used a racial slur and threatened to burn a black student’s home and hang her from a tree during a confrontation March 1.

The teen, whose name was not released, was charged with third-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias, second-degree breach of peace, and second-degree threatening, Lt. Wayne Williams said.

The girl as released on bond and is expected to be arraigned in Superior Court in Derby on April 5.

N.H. man charged with dealing drug

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) – Police arrested a Manchester man they described as a midlevel dealer and charged him with distributing the recreational drug ecstasy to college students after he sold it to an undercover agent.

Police said they found about $6,000 along with drugs when they raided the apartment of James Murphy, 23.

Investigators said Murphy most recently worked with the Boys and Girls Club.

He was arraigned on two felony charges, and officials said more arrests are likely. Bail was set at $50,000.