A student at Fairfield University lost a relative in the Boston Marathon bombing, University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. confirmed on Wednesday.

Von Arx, speaking after a noon mass on campus that included references to the bombing that killed three, wouldn’t say who the student was and who the relative was out of respect for the student’s privacy.

The three killed in the explosion included Richard Martin, 8, Krystle Campbell, 29 and a 23-year-old college student from China.

Tuesday evening, Fairfield University held a special prayer vigil honoring the victims in Egan Chapel. Wednesday, at the noon mass, with about 50 people in attendance, Rev. George Collins, the university chaplain, said it was understandable to feel confused, fearful and even angry by what happened. He asked them to focus the individuals on the scene who tore down fences to reach the injured, who pulled off shirts and belts to use as tourniquets.

“It doesn’t deny the reality of what happened but it offers us all what we need,” Collins said, on an altar filled with memorial candles.

 Later, Collins said the noontime mass drew about double the normal amount of participants, which he called understandable.

Von Arx also sent out a message to the university community that included the following:

While at this point all of the facts are unclear, we do know that the family of one member of our community suffered a loss yesterday. Our prayers go out to them at this time. These tragedies so close to home remind us of how fortunate we are to live and work together within a community of compassion and solidarity, and I am grateful to you all for your sensitivity and fellowship in these circumstances. May God bless you all.

 This is not the first act of terror to impact the Fairfield University community. The university lost 14 alumni in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

The song was written by Rachel Ulreich, part of the duo, and her partner Mark Sanderlin, two days after the Sandy Hook shooting that left 20 students and six educators dead. It was performed at the funeral for Allison Wyatt, one of the first graders who was killed.

Half of after tax proceeds for the song will benefit funds set up in the memory of the Allison. Ulreich attended both Thomas Hooker and High Horizons In Bridgeport, and graduated from Masuk High School in Monroe.

 The songwriters have a prior connection to the Wyatt family and Allison’s parents, Ben and Cheyanne Wyatt asked that it be part of the service.

 “Light My Sky” can be found at lightmysky.bandcamp.com or on iTunes.

An initial investigation indicates that a vehicle traveling north on Longfellow Avenue hit the pedestrian who was crossing the street. The pedestrian was transported to St. Vincents Medical Center.

 The identity of the victim and the driver was not available. Neither was the victim’s condition. The crash is under investigation.

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Henry Mora, 43, was northbound, south of the intersection with Route 111, when he drove off the road, hit a rock embankment and rolled over, according to police.

 Mora was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was in the car. The accident remains under investigation.

 The deadline, which had been Dec. 31, 2012.

 Gov. Dannel Malloy announced the extention on Sunday.

“With more than $20 million in federal aid approved already, there is clearly a need for many residents for assistance,” said Malloy in a written statement. “Extending this deadline will ensure that any resident or business affected by Storm Sandy has ample time to apply for assistance.”

To date more than $20 million in federal disaster assistance has been approved to help Connecticut residents with disaster-related expenses:

* About 11,400 Connecticut residents in Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven, and New London counties, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and the Mohegan Tribal Nation have registered for federal disaster assistance.

* More than $9.6 million has been approved for housing assistance, including short-term rental assistance and home repair costs.

* More than $620,000 has been approved to cover other essential disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses and lost personal possessions.

* More than 8,700 disaster loan applications have been issued by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). Of that number, almost 7,000 are for home loans and about 1,800 are for businesses. More than $11.6 million in SBA loan have been approved.

Residents in Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London counties as well as businesses across the state who suffered damage from Storm Sandy are encouraged to register with FEMA before visiting the recovery center by either calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or through www.DisasterAssistance.gov<http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov>. For those with speech or hearing disabilities, the TTY number is 1-800-462-7585.

Residents seeking additional information are encouraged to download the fact sheet available at www.ct.gov/sandy<http://www.ct.gov/sandy>.

COLLEGES

SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY, FAIRFIELD– Closed through Sunday. University President John Petillo sent out an announcement a short time ago saying the campus suffered little damage but is without power and UI has not been able to tell them when power will be restore.

HOUSATONIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE BRIDGEPORT — Open for classes as of 12 p.m. Wednesday.

SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT COMMUNITY COLLEGE – Open as of Wednesday for classes.

FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY – Classes are now cancelled through Thursday.

UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT – Still without power, all classes at the main campus as well as in Waterbury and Stamford, will be closed until Monday, November 5.  All students who had been staying at emergency shelters have returned to campus and will now stay at the Student Center (which has temporary power) until power is resumed campus-wide.

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT – All campuses except Avery Point in Groton are up and running today. Avery Point expects to be open on Thursday.

  SCHOOLS

ANSONIA – Closed on Thursday due to continued road closures.

BRIDGEPORT –The following schools will be open on Thursday: Jettie Tisdale School; Park City Magnet;  Edison School;  Hall School; Sheridan School;  Dunbar School;  Winthrop School;   Barnum School;  Waltersville School;  Skane School. The remaining schools are still without power and will be closed on Thursday.

DARIEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Closed through end of week.

FAIRFIELD PUBLIC/PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS – Closed through the end of this week.

GREENWICH PUBLIC/PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS – Closed through end of this week.

MILFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Closed through end of the week because downed wires have made many roads impassable.

MONROE PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Closed through end of the week.

NEW CANAAN SCHOOLS – Closed through end of this week.

NEWTOWN SCHOOLS – Closed Thursday, Nov. 1.

NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, FAIRFIELD – Closed through end of the week.

OXFORD – Closed on Thursday.

SHELTON – Closed on Thursday.

STAMFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Closed Thursday, Nov. 1

STRATFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Closed through the end of the week.

TRUMBULL PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Closed through the end of the week.

WILTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS -Closed Thursday, Nov. 1.

The school, which will be located on Quinnipiac’s North Haven campus, will start recruiting its first class next month. The 60 students, selected from an anticipated pool of more than 2000 applicants, will start four years of training in August 2013. Dr. Bruce Koeppen, founding dean of the school, said the state approval was the second piece of great news he had received in the past 24 hours. Tuesday evening, he said the medical school won preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which is needed in order to recruit students. By 2015-16, it is expected the school will grow to 275 students.

Koeppen said St. Vincent’s was one of five hospitals that were finalists to be Quinnipiac’s clinical partner and that it being in Bridgeport played a strong factor in its selection. The medical school’s primary focus will be to create practicing physcians

The Turnaround Arts initiative is a new public-private partnership designed to narrow the achievement gap and improve student engagement through the arts. Roosevelt is one of eight schools selected for the program through a highly competitive national selection process, and will receive intensive arts education resources, expertise and the involvement of high-profile President’s Committee artists over the course of two years to support their educational reform effort.

Roosevelt is also the recipient of federal School Improvement Grant funds under a plan to turn it into a art-themed school. The school, located on Park Avenue, is scheduled to be torn down and rebuilt starting this summer. During construction, Roosevelt students are to be housed in the district’s swing-space school near the University of Bridgeport campus.

In a prepared statement, Margo Lion, co-chairwoman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities said the plan is to use arts as a means to increase the schools rigor.

“The President’s Committee is delighted to have the students of Roosevelt, and their inspired principal, Tania Kelley, participating in Turnaround Arts,” said Margo Lion, Co-Chair of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. “Ms. Kelley and her team have an outstanding vision for Roosevelt, one that is alive with creativity and fresh ideas—full of art, theater and movement. We are excited to be working with them to help making that vision a reality.”

Kelley said she is excited.

The amount of the grant was not immediately available.

As part of the program, the President’s Committee and its partners will provide training and resources to Roosevelt and the other participating schools, including an Aspen Institute summer leadership program, in-school professional development, partnerships with community arts education and cultural organizations, art supplies and musical instruments and community engagement events. Presidentially-appointed artists on the Committee, Chuck Close, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kerry Washington, Forest Whitaker, Yo-Yo Ma, Damian Woetzel and Alfre Woodard, will “adopt” one of the selected schools for the length of the program, working with the schools and communities and highlighting their successes.

Other participating schools are in New Orleans, Iowa, Montana, Colorado, Boston, Portland and Washington D.C.