Firefighters' Promotions Ordered

A federal judge in Connecticut has ordered New Haven officials to promote 14 firefighters who won a reverse discrimination case that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven followed the Supreme Court’s instructions and ruled Tuesday that white firefighters’ civil rights were violated when city officials threw out the results of two 2003 promotional exams because no black firefighters scored high enough to be promoted.

Arterton had thrown out the white firefighters’ lawsuit in 2006. A federal appeals court upheld her decision before the Supreme Court overturned both rulings in June. The lead plaintiff, Frank Ricci, and seven others will be promoted to lieutenant, and six firefighters will be promoted to captain. (AP/New Haven Register)

Webster Branch Sold

The state banking department has approved Lakeville-based Salisbury Bank and Trust Company’s acquisition of a Webster Bank branch in Canaan.

Salisbury Bancorp, the parent to Salisbury Bank and Trust Co, announced in August that it entered into an agreement to purchase the Canaan-based branch of Webster Bank.

As part of the deal, Salisbury Bank said it will assume certain deposits, fixed assets and loans, and it also agreed to retain all branch-based employees as part of the transaction.

In total, the transaction includes approximately $17 million in deposits and about $4 million in loans. The acquisition is expected to be completed this quarter.

Salisbury Bank has $554 million in total assets as of Sept. 30, with four offices in Connecticut, two in Massachusetts, and one in New York.

Waterbury-based Webster Bank has $17.7 billion in assets as of Sept. 30, with more than 180 branches mostly in the Northeast.