First Howard case suspect gets probation

Ac­celerated rehabilitation could clear the slate for the Hartford man involved in the Oct. 18, 2009 incidents at the University of Connecticut which culminated in football star Jasper Howard’s death.

The clerk’s office at Rockville Superior Court confirmed Tuesday that Johnny Wood, charged with breach of peace and interfering with an officer, has been granted entry into the state’s accelerated pre-trial rehabilitation program.

Upon successful completion, Wood’s criminal record could be expunged.

Under the program’s guidelines, Wood was released into the “cus­tody” of the Connecticut Support Services Division for up to, but not more than, two years.

The program is probationary in nature and available to individuals meeting certain requirements and who might otherwise face impris­onment for their actions.

Hood was arrested after a verbal altercation with a former UConn football player outside the university’s Student Union in Storrs during a school dance.

Witnesses to the incident said the argument broke up, but later re-ignited with other individuals involved, according to court docu­ments.

At the judge’s discretion, pro­gram compliance could include participation in such programs as the zero-tolerance drug supervi­sion program or the hate crimes diversion program, according to state statutes.

If Wood fails to complete the program to the satisfaction of the court, his case would go back on the docket, according to Rhonda Stearley-Hebert, from the CSSD.

John Lomax III, a friend of Hood’s, pleaded no contest to first-degree manslaughter in Jan­uary for stabbing Howard and was sentenced in March to 18 years in jail.

Posted 7-7-2011

Have a news item or event you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions.

Keep up-to-date on your local news – Like us (HTNP) on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

UConn president has gift for school

Susan Hebst chosen by UConn Board of Trustees as new president. Photo from USG Web site.

University of Con­necticut President Susan Herbst has given a $100,000 gift to the UConn Foundation to benefit stu­dents.  Herbst, who took over as presi­dent just three weeks ago, and her husband Douglas Hughes, made the donation to UConn’s capi­tal campaign with the intention of helping students studying, or planning to study, arts or humani­ties.

In a statement released by univer­sity communications Wednesday (July 6), Herbst expressed the sentiment she and her husband share, that the arts and the humanities are central to the nation’s future.

“Now, more than ever, we need our young people to ask the big questions – about justice, moral­ity, beauty and happiness, to guide daily life,” Herbst said in the state­ment. “The humanities inspire us and help us to figure out what truly matters.”

Along with academic prow­ess and financial need, eligibil­ity criteria includes enrollment or intended enrollment in UConn’s Fine Arts College or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The gift is a boost toward the foundation’s goal of raising $600 million by 2014, according to the foundation.

“This is an extremely generous gift and obviously the foundation is very pleased and congratulates President Herbst and her hus­band,” said Art Sorrentino, direc­tor of communications for the foundation.

“President Herbst has shown she is ready to lead by example. She believes it is crucial for UConn to be able to achieve its goals,” Sor­rentino said.

With state support for educa­tional institutions dwindling, the foundation’s goal to raise $600 million for education, athletics and the UConn Health Center includes a focus on increasing the volume of endowed gifts by 10 percent.

Endowed gifts are donations that are invested with only the return on those investments being used for the donor’s specified purpose.

Non-endowed gifts are used for current operating expenses and are applied as they are received.

The president’s gift is an endowed gift.

“(Endowed gifts) represent a permanent source of funds that are invested and spin off revenues on an ongoing basis,” Sorrentino said. “It provides the kind of resources that add to the state support that we receive and the tuition revenue that we receive.” Larry McHugh, chairman of the UConn Board of Trustees, also expressed appreciation for the president’s gift.

“I’m overwhelmed,” McHugh said in a statement. “That’s a tre­mendous commitment for President Herbst to make to the uni­versity; it just reinforces the fact that we made a wise choice in hir­ing her. This is a great message to get out to all of UConn’s support­ers and the state of Connecticut.”

Herbst comes to UConn from the University System of Georgia where she worked as the executive vice chancellor and chief aca­demic officer.

She is the first female president in the UConn’s 130-year history.

The first Susan Herbst and Douglas Hughes Family Schol­arship in Humanities scholarship will be awarded in spring 2012.

Posted 7-7-2011

Have a news item or event you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions.

Keep up-to-date on your local news – Like us (HTNP) on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

Matt Hurlock- Heart of a Champion

Matt Hurlock, whose touch impacted a countless number of young lives as a teacher and coach in the Coventry school sys­tem, lost his battle with cancer on Wednesday when he passed away at the age of 39. Photo by Roxanne Pandolfi

Ashley Curtis, one of his former volleyball players who graduated from Coventry High School in 2008 and was named the Class S state championship Most Valuable Player the previous fall, summed it up best last year when she paused to say a few words about Matt Hurlock.

“The town of Coventry and this world is a better place because he’s in it,” Curtis said.

Hurlock, who guided the Coventry girls volleyball team to seven CIAC Class S state tournament titles in the last eight years, lost the biggest fight of his life on Wednesday, passing away after a nearly year-long battle with colon and liver cancer. He was 39.

Numerous messages of condolence from students, administrators, coaches and former players began to be posted early last night on a Facebook community page dedicated to Hurlock.

Among the messages included one by Hurlock’s former volleyball assistant coach, Jon Roberts.

“You always made me feel like we could do anything and, most of the time, you were right,” Roberts said. “Your legacy will live on through the countless people that you have touched, guided, taught, encouraged, loved and forced to be better than they thought they could be.”

Hurlock, who grew up in Mansfield, graduat­ed from E.O. Smith High School in Storrs and then went on to earn a degree at Springfield College, had taken a leave of absence last fall from his job teaching physical education at Nathan Hale Middle School in Coventry after he was diagnosed with cancer last August.

“I wasn’t going to just sit at home when I could be here working with the girls and watching them play,” Hurlock said back in November prior to Coventry’s Class S girls volleyball title match against Morgan. “Coaching means a lot because it is one of the most important things in my life.”

Ryan Giberson, who coaches varsity base­ball at Coventry, was an assistant volleyball coach under Hurlock last fall and often ran practices and coached several games with Hurlock undergoing chemotherapy treatments, had the utmost respect for his friend.

“Matt Hurlock exercised a level of com­mitment that was unparalleled,” Giberson said in an e-mail sent to the Chronicle late Wednesday night. “He was dedicated to his family, his students and his athletes.

“Coventry public schools and the surround­ing community is, and will continue to be, a much better place because of him.”

Throughout this past winter, all schools in the North Central Connecticut Conference hosted Hoops for Hurlock nights, where all proceeds went to Hurlock and his family.

Over the course of the last decade, Hurlock, who started coaching volleyball at Coventry in 2001, helped build one of the top girls vol­leyball programs in the state, compiling an overall record of 206-19.

Since 2003, Coventry won 184 out of 187 matches and made eight consecutive Class S championship match appearances, win­ning seven titles (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) with four undefeated sea­sons (2006-2008, 2010) while also capturing five consecutive North Central Connecticut Conference regular-season and tourney titles.

Last November, Coventry capped off a 24-0 season with a 3-0 victory over the Morgan School in the Class S final at Glastonbury High School and also became the first small school to ever be voted the No. 1-ranked team in Connecticut.

In May, Hurlock was recognized by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association as the organization’s girls volleyball coach of the year at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. In 2009, Hurlock won the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance’s Doc McInerney High School coach of the year award.

Hurlock also coached the varsity boys bas­ketball team at Coventry for 14 seasons before stepping down last fall. Over that time, the Patriots won two Charter Oak Conference tournament titles (1999, 2005), an NCCC tournament title (2009), made four CIAC state tournament semifinal appearances and had two undefeated regular seasons (2005 and 2009).

Hurlock is survived by his parents, Huber and Cynthia, his brother Mike, his wife Julie and the couple’s two children, Colby and Katelyn.

Funeral arrangements are still pending at this time.

Posted 7-7-2011