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Fire Reports | June 17-24, 2026

Published: Jun 29, 2026 8:00 am

Wednesday, June 17: 1:27 pm, smoke/odor investigation, 75 Church Hill Road, Hook & Ladder responded; 3:25 pm, motor vehicle accident (MVA), Hawleyville and Currituck Roads, Hawleyville responded; 4:45 pm, tree/wires down, Berkshire and Chestnut Hill Roads, Sandy Hook responded; 5:57 pm, outside fire, 42 Hilldale Drive, Hook & Ladder and Sandy Hook responded.

Thursday, June 18: 1:22 pm, medical assist, High Bridge Road, Botsford responded; 3:47 pm, service call, 201 Hattertown Road, Dodgingtown responded; 5:11 pm, tree/wires down, 6 Capitol Drive, Sandy Hook responded; 6:19 pm, service call, 12 Blue Spruce Drive, Botsford responded.

Friday, June 19: 6:20 am, cover assignment, 27 North Street, Roxbury, Sandy Hook responded; 4:29 pm, MVA, 267 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook responded; 6:53 pm, fire alarm, 32 Church Hill Road, Hook & Ladder responded; 8:22 pm, MVA, South Main Street and Buttonshop Road, Botsford responded; 9 pm, smoke/odor investigation, 6 Old Green Road, Sandy Hook responded.

Saturday, June 20: 9:50 am, CO alarm, 3 Newbury Road, Hawleyville responded; 11:50 am, medical assist, Georges Hill Road, Hawleyville responded; 4:13 pm, fire alarm, 41 Cold Springs Road, Botsford responded; 8:30 pm, service call, 307 Indian Ledge Park, Sandy Hook responded.

Sunday, June 21: 12:11 am, MVA, I-84 East Exits 9 & 10, Hawleyville responded; 12:32 am, MVA, I-84 East Exit 10 Off-Ramp, Hook & Ladder and Hawleyville responded.

Monday, June 22: 8:56 am, service call, 12 Lincoln Road, Sandy Hook responded; 2:20 pm, smoke/odor investigation, 40 Philo Curtis Road, Sandy Hook responded; 4:45 pm, fire alarm, 3 Nunnawauk Road, Botsford and Hook & Ladder responded; 5:50 pm, medical assist, South Main Street, Hook & Ladder responded; 9:51 pm, tree/wires down, 50 Hanover Road, Hook & Ladder responded.

Tuesday, June 23: 11:28 am, medical assist, Toddy Hill Road, Botsford responded; 12:28 pm, medical assist, Green Knolls Lane, Botsford and Dodgingtown responded; 2:44 pm, MVA, Toddy Hill and Still Hill Roads, Sandy Hook responded; 4:54 pm, tree/wires down, 133 Sugar Street, Dodgingtown responded; 6:24 pm, fire alarm, 3 Joan Drive, Botsford responded; 6:57 pm, MVA, 76 South Main Street, Hook & Ladder responded.

Wednesday, June 24: 12:41 am, fire alarm, 3 Trades Lane, Hook & Ladder and Sandy Hook responded.

Poet Laureate Deserves Support

Hawley, Middle Gate Go All Out For Field Day

Confession Curated Clothing Ready For Shoppers

Commission On Aging Offered Updates, Answered Housing Questions

With the publication of installment No. 26, Trump’s Triumphs has now consumed enough broadsheet paper—approximately 3.6 miles—to stretch from the center of Newtown, past the dump, and nearly to Sand Hill Plaza. That is the amount of paper used to print these 26 installments alone. Do you think they will stop before we get to Monroe? If Trump becomes 48 in 28 then we would make the sound for sure!

Elections Have Consequences XXVI

Dave, you are right that only those in the Borough signed onto the law suits, as it was made clear during the Borough meetings that signers had to be residents of the Borough. However, as you know, there was a concerted effort by the Newtown Conservation Coalition to organize people (throughout town) and to orchestrate actions intended to foil the overall development. If one searches the Bee for “Newtown Conservation Coalition” one will find many articles and editorials that cite the coalition. More that 18 of those articles and editorials, from March 2024 through February 2025, are about the Castle Hill Development and include direct quotes from the NCC head/founder including, e.g.,: 1) Newtown Conservation Coalition founder Dave Ackert has sagely urged his fellow NCC members to “stick to the relevant regulations issues and concerns in your testimony,” as “general opinions and concerns will not be considered when making their decision." [https://www.newtownbee.com/08292024/borough-zoning-to-begin-20-60-castle-hill-public-hearing." [https://www.newtownbee.com/08292024/borough-zoning-to-begin-20-60-castle-hill-public-hearing] 2) “We’re being sold a lot of things,” said Ackert. “The developer said he is going above and beyond in preserving open space, but the only part [of the plan] that doesn’t have houses are the steep slopes. He’s not avoiding buildable land, he’s using every buildable inch.” [https://www.newtownbee.com/09272024/borough-zoning-hears-perspectives-on-castle-hill-development] In addition to the articles and editorials, you (Dave) also wrote over 8 letters related to the development, in essence speaking for the residents, e.g., saying “On behalf of hundreds of concerned residents living within 500 feet who signed protest petitions, and residents downstream who’s property and finances could also be negatively impacted, I ask the BOS to rescind the discontinuance decision now.” [https://www.newtownbee.com/07102025/discusses-rochambeau-trail-and-6-commerce-road] The main tools for the Newtown Conservation Coalition are FOI complaints and legal action. These actions have increased the amount both the Town and the Borough have had to pay for legal counsel over the last few years. The cost is shared by all households and businesses for Town actions. Unfortunately, it is shared by very few, relatively speaking, for Borough actions. This year’s Borough costs are $58,000 to date. There were FOIA/legal actions in 2024 and 2025 too. Eventually, we will all see if that was money well spent. My sense is that the answer is no.

What’s Going On In The Borough?

my concern is not limited to this single FOIA request or this one case. It is the broader pattern of obstructionism, fear-mongering, and personal nastiness reflected in your Facebook page and other public commentary. You routinely call people to action by presenting only one side of complicated issues, assigning the worst possible motives to those who disagree with you, and giving little consideration to the legitimate concerns or perspectives on the other side. That may generate outrage and attention, but it does not make you a constructive participant in Newtown’s civic affairs. You are entitled to question public officials and pursue whatever legal remedies are available to you. But you should not pretend that your own conduct, rhetoric, and repeated escalation of disputes have played no role in the hostility and expense surrounding these matters. Newtown would be a nicer and more productive community with less of this kind of divisive behavior.

My "actions" were a single request for audio recordings of public meetings. It would have cost the Borough ZERO dollars to turn those over, as required by law. Instead, the Chair of the Borough Zoning commission decided, unilaterally, without informing the rest of his commission, to fight that Freedom of Information request. Mr. Johnson attempt to deflect blame falls flat on its face here. Facts matter.

Can you name a single person involved in one of the lawsuits who does not reside in the Borough? I'll wait......

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Fire Reports | June 17-24, 2026

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