Corradino appointed Bridgeport’s top prosecutor

Joseph Corradino was appointed state’s attorney for the Judicial District of Fairfield.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Corradino-appointed-Bridgeport-s-top-prosecutor-15238852.php

Report: Coronavirus could drain $7B from CT coffers by 2023

Fiscal analysts warned on Thursday the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic could have on Connecticut’s reserves in the next few years.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Report-Coronavirus-could-drain-7B-from-CT-15238809.php

CT nursing home advocates call for more testing, rapid response teams

Officials say more testing, proper staffing and replenishment of PPE can help prevent further spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Nursing-home-advocates-call-for-more-testing-15238797.php

Staples High School Sailing Hits the Water, Virtually

The Staples High School sailing team is taking things virtual. Unable to race on the water since COVID-19 concerns have shut down schools and postponed the spring sports season, Staples sailing coach AJ Sorensen had the idea to keep up the competition with an app on their phones. So far Staples has raced against the Greenwich sailing team. It’s not...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/staples-high-school-sailing-hits-the-water-virtually/2264071/

How to Celebrate the Virtual Kentucky Derby at Home

Churchill Downs will recognize the first Saturday in May with a “Kentucky Derby at Home” online party, highlighted by a virtual Derby featuring 13 former Triple Crown winners in an effort to raise $2 million for COVID-19 relief.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/the-scene/how-to-celebrate-the-virtual-kentucky-derby-at-home/2264063/

Free COVID-19 testing set for Bridgeport first responders and residents

Bridgeport will offer free testing on May 2 and 6 for its first responders and residents on Wednesdays beginning May 6.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Free-COVID-19-testing-set-for-Bridgeport-first-15238174.php

May 20 target for coronavirus reopening: Limited stores, outdoor dining

A measured reopening in May depends on continued declines in hospitalizations and active COVID-19 infections.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/May-20-target-for-coronavirus-reopening-Limited-15238218.php

Little League World Series Canceled for First Time

This year’s Little League World Series and the championship tournaments in six other Little League divisions have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/little-league-world-series-canceled-for-first-time/2264020/

89 new fatalities in coronavirus pandemic brings CT total to 2,257

CT hospitalizations continue to decrease in pandemic, with a total Thursday of 1,650.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/89-new-fatalities-in-coronavirus-pandemic-brings-15238071.php

Savo appointed Stratford finance director

Savo had been the town’s acting finance director since Jay Wahlberg died April 9 from complications of COVID-19. She had been assistant director since 2018.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/politics/article/Savo-appointed-Stratford-finance-director-15238117.php

NASCAR to Resume Season May 17 With Seven Races in 10 Days

NASCAR will resume its season without fans starting May 17 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/nascar-to-resume-season-may-17-with-seven-races-in-10-days/2263985/

CT unions want enhanced benefits in the coronavirus pandemic

Top state, national labor leaders stress that science and public health should be the top considerations for reopening nonessential businesses.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/CT-unions-want-enhanced-benefits-in-the-15237672.php

Aspetuck Land Trust acquires Gilbertie’s farmland in Easton

Sal Gilbertie, who will continue to farm the land, will lease the property from the Aspetuck Land Trust.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Aspetuck-Land-Trust-acquires-Gilbertie-s-15237223.php

Shell-Shocked by Delayed Derby? The Kentucky Turtle Derby Is Here for You

Call it, the slowest eight minutes in sports. With the Kentucky Derby having been postponed, the first Saturday in May has yielded to the legs of a bunch of slowpokes: Seattle Slow headlines a field of turtles — yes, turtles — that will race in the Kentucky Turtle Derby. The race is more methodical marathon that mad dash to the...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/shell-shocked-by-delayed-derby-the-kentucky-turtle-derby-is-here-for-you/2263719/

Connecticut parents petition Gov. Ned Lamont to hold high school graduations

Parents of graduating seniors across the state are joining forces to petition the government to hold a safe graduation ceremony this June.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Connecticut-parents-petition-Gov-Ned-Lamont-to-15236888.php

Stamford teacher becomes baby’s temporary guardian after mom gets coronavirus

Luciana Lira, 42, a teacher at Hart Magnet Elementary, became a temporary guardian for the newborn, after the boy's mother got the coronavirus.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Stamford-teacher-becomes-baby-s-temporary-15236774.php

Husband of CT U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes tests positive for coronavirus

A Waterbury first responder, the husband of CT member of Congress has tested positive for COVID-19, but U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes has tested negative.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Husband-of-CT-U-S-Rep-Jahana-Hayes-tests-15236665.php

Webster adds new coronavirus words to dictionary

The additions were part of its regularly scheduled update of 535 new words in the dictionary.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Webster-adds-new-coronavirus-words-to-dictionary-15236484.php

Trumbull firefighters rescue baby owls

Several baby owls had fallen out of their nest in a nearby tree.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Trumbull-firefighters-rescue-baby-owls-15236445.php

April ending with couple inches of rain, gusty winds

Out of 30 days this month, there has been measurable rain on 20 days in Danbury.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/weather/article/April-ending-with-couple-inches-of-rain-gusty-15236417.php

First American Medicine Patent – Today in History: April 30

On April 30, 1796, Samuel Lee Jr. of Windham, Connecticut, received a Letters Patent for his composition of bilious pills—a patent medicine that eventually became known as “Dr. Lee’s Windham Bilious Pills.” Lee’s patent was the first American patent for a pill of any kind as well as the first in its patent class.

An advertisement for Samuel Lee’s “True and Genuine Bilious Pills” from the Connecticut Journal, June 28, 1797

At the time Lee patented his pills, patent medicines imported from England were already common in America. Savvy entrepreneurs regularly created marketable medicines by mixing different combinations of extracts—but these compositions were not necessarily effective for treating the ailments they claimed to cure. The “True and Genuine Bilious Pills” prepared by Samuel Lee claimed to “remove pains in the head, stomach and bowels – – – the gripes and all obstructions.” They also were advertised as being an “excellent help for the gravel, scurvy, cholic, jaundice, dropsy . . . and therefore convenient for all travelers by sea or land.”

The success of a patent medicine was often linked to the reputation of its maker and Samuel Lee Jr. was the son of Dr. Samuel Lee, a respected local physician. Dr. Lee served as surgeon to the crew of the schooner Oliver Cromwell, which entered the privateer service in Norwich, Connecticut, during the Revolutionary War.

As Yankee peddlers spread their wares beyond New England, “Dr. Lee’s Windham Bilious Pills” soon appeared in stores up and down the East Coast. This success brought competition, however, and Samuel H. P. Lee, a druggist in New London, began selling a similar composition called “Lee’s New-London Bilious Pills.” Advertising from 1797 actually indicated that Samuel H. P. Lee had been an early distributor of Samuel Lee’s “True and Genuine Bilious Pills.” A very bitter pill for Samuel Lee Jr. to swallow, especially when Samuel H. P. Lee patented his own preparation in 1799 and marketed it under the name “Dr. Lee.” Both of these pills were the subject of additional patents and renewals and remained popular for years—possibly as a result of the very public feud that played out in newspaper advertising of the time:

A certain H. P. Lee, a young man, residing in New-London, has formed a Pill of a different composition, calling them “Lee’s New-London Bilious Pills,” which from the familiarity of names, may be passed off upon the public as the Pills of the present Patentee. It is therefore necessary to inform the public, that said Samuel H. P. Lee, of New -London, is no relation or connection of mine. – Samuel Lee Jr.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/first-american-medicine-patent-today-in-history-april-30/

LeBron James to Honor Class of 2020 With All-Star Event

LeBron James is putting together an all-star event to honor and celebrate the high school class of 2020, which has had its graduation season upended by the coronavirus pandemic

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/lebron-james-to-honor-class-of-2020-with-all-star-event/2263536/

Former Foran High soccer, golf captain dies of coronavirus complications

Steven Jones, who captained Foran High’s soccer and golf teams, died because of COVID-19 complications, his obituary said.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Former-Foran-High-soccer-golf-captain-dies-of-15235703.php

Vets: Don’t panic about dogs contracting coronavirus

Dog owners should limit their pets’ exposure to other people and animals, and should take similar quarantine measures as they do for themselves.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Vets-Don-t-panic-about-dogs-contracting-15235457.php

Monroe grocery bag program keeps seniors fed, safe

The bags contain food, produce and staples for a week.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Monroe-grocery-bag-program-keeps-seniors-fed-safe-15235410.php

Kittens found on Naugatuck road — 1 dead, 1 rescued

Police said two kittens were found on Hunters Mountain Road Saturday morning. One kitten was dead and the other was rescued.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Kittens-found-on-Naugatuck-road-1-dead-1-15235414.php

Baseball Hall of Fame Cancels Induction Ceremony

Derek Jeter, Larry Walker and the rest of this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame class will have to wait for their big moment at Cooperstown

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/baseball-hall-of-fame-cancels-induction-ceremony/2263404/

1 wounded in Bridgeport shooting

City police continue to investigate an early morning shooting that injured one person.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/1-wounded-in-Bridgeport-shooting-15235246.php

Police: Naugatuck man shared child porn on social media

A Naugatuck man has been charged by town police after he allegedly shared child pornography on “various social media platforms.”

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Police-Naugatuck-man-shared-child-porn-on-social-15235255.php

Experts: Substance use up, available treatment down amid coronavirus crisis

Social distancing, quarantines, job losses and uncertainty about the future are likely factors to substance abuse and the capacity of treatment programs are a concern, experts warn.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Experts-Substance-use-up-available-treatment-15235127.php

Goodell Reduces Salary to $0, NFL Workers Taking Pay Cuts

Commissioner Roger Goodell has reduced his salary to $0 and other NFL employees will be taking pay cuts or furloughs due to the coronavirus pandemic

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/nfl-commissioner-reduces-salary-to-0-nfl-workers-taking-pay-cuts/2263365/

University of Bridgeport opts for virtual commencement ceremony

Organizers of the virtual, pre-recorded UB graduation ceremony have promised it will include plenty of pomp — including “Pomp and Circumstance.”

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/University-of-Bridgeport-opts-for-virtual-15235024.php

79 more deaths in CT coronavirus pandemic brings total fatalities to 2,168

Hospitalizations fall by a net 41 in CT coronavirus pandemic continues downward trend.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/79-more-deaths-in-CT-coronavirus-pandemic-brings-15235033.php

The Worm Turns: Electra Recalls ‘Bad Boy’ Rodman’s Courtship

Carmen Electra says watching her former relationship with Dennis Rodman blossom back to life in The Last Dance documentary has helped her appreciate the wild time in her life with him

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/carmen-electra-recalls-dennis-rodman-courtship/2263356/

Inmate serving life for double murder seeks reprieve amid coronavirus crisis

Isschar Howard is serving a life sentence for a New Haven double homicide that occurred in 2000.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Inmate-serving-life-for-double-murder-seeks-15234860.php

Alaine Griffin named managing editor at Connecticut Post

“As her years of experience at the Hartford Courant show, Alaine is an exemplary journalist and leader.”

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Alaine-Griffin-named-managing-editor-at-15234845.php

May Speaker Series for Mental Health Awareness Month

North Central Network of Care presents a series including resource sharing, information & support available in response to Covid-19. Intimate Partner Violence 5-6 Food Insecurity 5-13 Educational Support 5-20 Mental Health & Ellness Resources 5-27

from Newington, CT - News Flash https://www.newingtonct.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=1333

CT restaurants offer a template of social distancing, enhanced sanitation to promote reopening

In attempt to join the statewide conversation on reopening, CT restaurants offer social distancing, advanced sanitation, in effort to reopen.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/CT-restaurants-offer-a-template-of-social-15234369.php

NCAA Board Supports Name, Image and Likeness Compensation for Student Athletes

The NCAA is moving forward with a plan to allow college athletes to earn money for endorsements and a host of other activities involving personal appearances and social media

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/ncaa-board-supports-name-image-and-likeness-compensation-for-student-athletes/2263195/

Inmate serving life sentence for murder dies with coronavirus

The person, a 74-year-old man who had been incarcerated since April 1970 and was serving a life sentence for murder, is the third Connecticut inmate to die with COVID-19.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Inmate-serving-life-sentence-for-murder-dies-with-15234261.php

Milford man accused of lewd act, exposing himself in Target

Nelson Vasquez, of Naugatuck Avenue, is accused of “exposing himself to a male in the electronics department,” posed said.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Milford-man-accused-of-lewd-act-exposing-himself-15233772.php

Recession preview shows 5 percent decline in Q1 economic output

Connecticut closed out 2019 with among the weakest rates of growth, with gross domestic product gaining 0.9 percent to best only New Jersey in the Northeast.

from Business https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/Recession-preview-shows-5-percent-decline-in-Q1-15233660.php

Part of Route 25 to be resurfaced in Trumbull, Bridgeport

The project is plannned between May 7 and June 8, 2020.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Part-of-Route-25-to-be-resurfaced-in-Trumbull-15233626.php

Memorials to honor tow truck driver killed on Merritt Parkway

A memorial tow truck parade will be held at a later date.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Memorials-to-honor-tow-truck-driver-killed-on-15233537.php

IOC Official Disagrees COVID-19 Vaccine Needed for Olympics

The head of the IOC’s coordination commission for the Tokyo Olympics says he disagrees with suggestions by some scientists and doctors that a vaccine for COVID-19 is needed to hold the games

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/ioc-official-disagrees-covid-19-vaccine-needed-for-olympics/2262930/

Jeremiah Wadsworth, “foremost in every enterprise”

By Joel Lang

Jeremiah Wadsworth was a sea-going merchant, commissary general to the Continental army, and founder of the nation’s first banks. He also helped established the insurance and textile industries in Connecticut and served in the first three terms of the US Congress.

Had he lived in another era, his wealth and influence might have made him a figure comparable to a 19th-century financial tycoon or a 20th-century venture capitalist. As it was, the fortune he amassed, valued at $125,000 according to probate records, was one of the largest of his time and seeded the 1842 creation of the Wadsworth Atheneum (as it was then called), the nation’s oldest public art museum and one of Hartford’s most enduring institutions.

Younger Years and West Indies Trade

John Angel James Wilcox,Jeremiah Wadsworth, 1776, engraving – Connecticut Historical Society

Jeremiah was born on July 12, 1743, to Daniel Wadsworth, minister at Hartford’s First Church, and Abigail Talcott, the daughter of Joseph Talcott, Colony governor from 1725 to 1741. Losing both parents as a child, he was raised by his uncle, Matthew Talcott, a ship owner in Middletown, then an important Connecticut river port.

His uncle sent him to sea in 1761, introducing Jeremiah to the West Indies trade. Within a decade he had become a ship’s captain and a wealthy man. As ship commander, he was as much merchant as mariner, since his duties required him to decide where and when to sell his cargo, not just transport it.

His mercantile skills led to his appointment in 1774 as commissary (supply master) for the Connecticut militia. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he advanced to commissary for the eastern division of the Continental army and in 1778 succeeded Joseph Trumbull as commissary general for the entire army.

He earned the trust of General George Washington and his reputation withstood claims he profited excessively from his post, which paid by commission. He resigned in 1780, only to soon act as commissary to the 5,500-soldier French army led by Jean-Baptiste-Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau.

Later Life and Further Wealth

At the peak of his mercantile ventures, Wadsworth had trading partners in England, France, and Ireland as well as in larger colonial cities and the West Indies. One of his notable local partnerships was formed in 1779 with Barnabas Deane, brother of Silas, and General Nathaniel Greene of Rhode Island. The partnership built a large distillery and owned a fleet of ships to supply the distillery with molasses from the West Indies.

Velvet coat originally owned by Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth, 1784 – Connecticut Historical Society

Wadsworth began to invest some of his wealth in banks even before the Revolution ended. His ownership of 104 of its 1,000 shares made him the largest shareholder in the continent’s first bank, the Bank of North America, founded in Philadelphia in 1781. He served as president of the Bank of New York, founded in 1784, and as a director of the first Bank of the United States, chartered by Congress in 1791 and located in Philadelphia.

In 1792, he was a driving force behind the founding of the Hartford Bank, the city’s first, which later became Hartford National. An anniversary history published in 1892 described Wadsworth as “the wealthiest man in town … foremost in every enterprise which promised to advance its prosperity.”

Among those other enterprises were Connecticut’s first insurance partnership, in 1794, and the Hartford Woolen Manufacture, the first mill to use power machinery to spin broadcloth. The owner of three farms, he also was noted for importing new breeds of cattle and for his experiments with crops. The inventory of Wadsworth’s estate showed the largest share of his wealth was in bank stock and farm property. He also had a large library of 1,000 volumes.

Wadsworth had married Mehitable Russell in 1767. They had three children, including Daniel. Besides founding the Atheneum, Daniel would use the fortune he inherited to fund the construction of the present-day Center Church, replacing First Church, and to restore the adjacent Ancient Burial Ground, where his father was one of the last to be interred after his death in 1804.

Joel Lang retired in 2007 from the Hartford Courant, where he wrote mostly for Northeast, its Sunday magazine; he currently resides in Bridgeport.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/jeremiah-wadsworth/

Police: Mercedes-Benz stolen in Greenwich was taken on a crime spree

Thieves who stole a car in Greenwich nearly hit a police officer in Bridgeport with it, and led police on a high-speed chase on I-95.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Police-Mercedes-Benz-stolen-in-Greenwich-was-15232436.php

Candidates are interviewed for Bridgeport top prosecutor

Five state prosecutors were interviewed remotely by the state Criminal Justice Commission for the position of Bridgeport state’s attorney.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Candidates-interviewed-for-Bridgeport-top-15232322.php

Town Council Meeting Tonight

Watch Tonight's Town Council Meeting Live...

from Newington, CT - News Flash https://www.newingtonct.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=1331

CT will start system to trace coronavirus contacts in mid-May

CT’s relatively high fatality rate is because the state includes ‘probable’ deaths in coronavirus-mortality statistics.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/CT-will-start-system-to-trace-coronavirus-15232317.php

77 more deaths in CT coronavirus pandemic brings total to 2,089

Gov. Ned Lamont said “only” 315 new coronavirus cases makes him optimistic, but 77 more deaths shows pandemic still has a grip on CT.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/77-more-deaths-in-CT-coronavirus-pandemic-brings-15232158.php

Masuk drama club bringing Clue! to YouTube

Stymied by coronavirus restrictions, the cast and director settled on a video version that will air Wednesday.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Masuk-drama-club-bringing-Clue-to-YouTube-15231875.php

Police: 2 vehicles stolen in Trumbull over the weekend

Two vehicles were stolen in from Trumbull driveways over the weekend, and police are urging residents to be more vigilant.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Police-2-vehicles-stolen-in-Trumbull-over-the-15231874.php

Federal pandemic aid will fall short of helping colleges and students, system president says

Not only will a federal aid package cover only half of what state colleges spent during the pandemic shutdown, as many as 30,000 students in the system could be ineligible for assistance grants.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Federal-pandemic-aid-will-fall-short-of-helping-15231897.php

Report: 56 coronavirus deaths at 14 assisted living homes owned by same company

The data, based on Benchmark’s own accounting of the disease’s path through its senior homes, represents only a fraction of the 111 assisted living facilities in Connecticut.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/56-coronavirus-deaths-at-14-assisted-living-homes-15231732.php

Stratford Ordinance Committee sends budget to Town Council

A committee composed of Council members makes no substantive changes to Mayor Laura Hoydick’s spending proposal.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/politics/article/Stratford-Ordinance-Committee-sends-budget-to-15231419.php

Lawsuit: Some inmates ‘will not make it out of FCI Danbury alive’ due to coronavirus

The federal class action lawsuit is seeking authorities to take emergency measures to protect the more than 1,000 inmates at Danbury prison.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Lawsuit-Some-inmates-will-not-make-it-out-of-15231248.php

Last State Highway Toll Paid – Today in History: April 28

On April 28, 1989, William Thornton, president of the Manchester Sand & Gravel Company paid the last state highway toll in Connecticut on the Charter Oak Bridge. It was a prearranged moment of symmetry for, when the bridge opened in 1942, Thornton had been the first person to pay the toll at just 13 years old.

Connecticut has a long history with toll roads. Between 1792 and 1839, about 100 private turnpike corporations were chartered; they built 1,600 miles of toll roads, or turnpikes, across the state. These private corporations were businesses that built and maintained these roads in order to collect fees from travelers.

Fee System Takes its Toll

Connecticut became the second state in the country to form a highway department in 1895 and by 1908 this department took over the management of 1,000 miles of roads. Tolls were often used to defray the expense of improvement and maintenance.  By 1955, Connecticut began construction of a 129-mile-long, controlled-access toll highway connecting New York City to Rhode Island, the Connecticut Turnpike. The project started before the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, so the eight barrier toll plazas remained in place even after the highway became an integral part of the Interstate Highway System (I-95).

In 1982, protests from community groups such as “Banish All Tolls” began pressuring the legislature. The tolls were seen as an unfair barrier to commuters; they wasted gas, caused congestion, and created noise and hazardous air pollutants. A horrific accident in January 1983 at the Stratford toll plaza added more pressure, prompting the Connecticut State Highway Department and the legislature to examine the tolls from a safety standpoint. The decision was made to remove the eight toll plazas on the Connecticut Turnpike and the one on the Bissell Bridge by December 31, 1985. In 1986 additional legislation required the closure of the tolls on the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways by 1988.  The Charter Oak Bridge in Hartford has the distinction of collecting the state’s last toll.

The Boothe Memorial Park and Museum contains one of the toll booths removed from the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge on the Merritt Parkway.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/last-state-highway-toll-paid-today-in-history/

The Connecticut River

The Connecticut River is the longest river in New England. Designated the “long tidal river” by the Algonquian peoples of southern New England, it stretches over 410 miles and passes through four states—starting at the northern tip of New Hampshire along the Quebec border and passing through Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut on its way to Long Island Sound. For thousands of years, the Connecticut River’s abundant resources have drawn inhabitants who shaped and reshaped the surrounding area in meaningful, albeit not always positive, ways.

The evolution of the Connecticut River began with its emergence over 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. The first inhabitants of the Connecticut River Valley not only used the river for navigation and extension of trading routes but also for the fertile hunting and farming lands it provided. These forebears of contemporary tribes left behind artifacts researchers are still finding today—some of which are over 5,000 years old.

Native American plummet or netsinker from the Windsor area – Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, Norris Bull Collection

The first Europeans, the Dutch, arrived in what is now Connecticut around 1614. Developing trade relations among indigenous groups and the new arrivals became more complicated with the establishment of English colonies in Massachusetts. As early as 1631, Native groups who lived along the river traveled up to the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies seeking to strengthen their position against the growing economic and political power of the Pequot-Dutch trading alliance. Despite being offered incentives to establish a presence in the river valley, the English initially expressed little interest until September 26, 1633, when a group of Plymouth settlers under William Holmes sailed up the Connecticut River.

The group passed the Dutch fort located at modern-day Hartford and established a trading post of their own, just south of where the Farmington and Connecticut Rivers came together. Over the next two years, another group of settlers from Massachusetts, and one which came from England, came to the area and formed what eventually became the colony of Connecticut. The Connecticut River’s importance as a trade route continued to increase, with English settlers moving up into New Hampshire and Vermont in search of pelts and other marketable goods. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the river boasted a robust shipbuilding industry and became a vital route for transporting lumber.

19th-Century Industry Transforms the River

Industrialization in the 1800s introduced an entirely new array of influences that reshaped how people utilized the river. While farming and logging had caused tremendous upheaval to the Connecticut River Valley in centuries prior, industrialization accelerated these processes on a massive scale. Industries diverted the natural flow of the river in order to generate power, while dumping industrial wastes that threatened to destroy fragile ecological environments downstream.

The abuse heaped upon the river continued into the 20th century. Agricultural run-off from commercial farming and, in particular, the valley’s thriving tobacco industry, further polluted the river. The end of the Second World War brought with it the introduction of new chemical dyes and pesticides, which the river proved incapable of assimilating. The once pristine waterway was now a river of flowing toxins.

In 1965, actress (and Connecticut Resident) Katharine Hepburn narrated the documentary The Long Tidal River, in which she called the Connecticut River “the world’s most beautifully landscaped cesspool.” This film helped spark a burgeoning environmental movement in New England that called for the creation of more sewage treatment plants and tighter restrictions on industries polluting the environment.

An American Heritage River

In 1973, public pressure helped bring about the creation of the Connecticut River Gateway Commission, which monitors standards for development of riverfront land. Additional legislation targeting the cleanup of the Connecticut River helped increase the quality of the surrounding environment, slowly bringing back schools of shad and herring to the river, and in 1989, the nesting of bald eagles for the first time in over a century.

Thanks to new legislation in 1995, the entire Connecticut River watershed became the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Three years later, the Connecticut River received a designation as an American Heritage River, and it remains protected as just one of 14 rivers in the country to be recognized as such.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/the-connecticut-river/

Tokyo Olympics Difficult Without Vaccine, Medical Official Says

The medical community in Japan is moving toward a consensus that holding next year’s Tokyo Olympics may hinge on finding a coronavirus vaccine.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/tokyo-olympics-difficult-without-vaccine-medical-official-says/2262266/

CT turkey hunting season starts Wednesday; new changes this year

Hunters may now harvest a total of five bearded birds, regardless of property type.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/CT-turkey-hunting-season-starts-Wednesday-new-15230828.php

Facemasks hide ID of driver who led cops on high-speed I-95 chase

No arrests were made “due to the difficulty of identifying the exact parties driving with the same face masks,” said Scott Appleby, emergency management/communications director.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Facemasks-hide-ID-of-driver-who-led-cops-on-15230751.php

Record-Breaking Bloomfield Triple Jumper Prepares for Next Step in Uncertain Future

Next year Bloomfield track and field star Sean Dixon-Bodie will be heading to compete for Lousiana State University, but right now, he’s like every other high school athlete: waiting to see if he’ll have a chance to close out that part of his career. Bloomfield triple jumper Sean Dixon-Bodie didn’t think he was that good. “I realized when I broke...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/record-breaking-bloomfield-triple-jumper-prepares-for-next-step-in-uncertain-future/2262058/

Listen: Has coronavirus altered the future of grocery shopping?

Imagine walking into a store that is all fresh food. It’s a world in which your non-perishable items are delivered to your door, and the focus is on grocery “experiences.”

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Listen-Has-coronavirus-altered-the-future-of-15229514.php

Judge releases inmate in ACLU lawsuit

A Bridgeport judge on Monday ordered released an inmate who is a plaintiff in an ACLU federal class action lawsuit against the state’s prison system.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Judge-releases-inmate-in-ACLU-lawsuit-15229391.php

L.A. Lakers Received $4.6 Million From Federal Loan Program — But Returned Payment

The Los Angeles Lakers qualified for and received approximately $4.6 million from the government's Paycheck Protection Program, which was established to provide relief to small businesses suffering during the coronavirus pandemic. The Lakers eventually returned the money, according to NBC News.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/national-international/l-a-lakers-received-4-6-million-from-federal-loan-program-but-returned-payment/2261692/

2020 Revaluation

Work on the 2020 Revaluation is continuing despite the hardships incurred by the COVID-19 virus.

from Newington, CT - News Flash https://www.newingtonct.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=1330

CT police seek suspect who dumped 2 kittens; ran over one

“After the occupant of the vehicle abandoned the kittens, the vehicle ran over one of the two kittens killing it,” police posted on their Facebook page on Monday.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/CT-police-seek-suspect-who-dumped-2-kittens-ran-15229146.php

Selection for Bridgeport top prosecutor goes on remotely

The state’s Criminal Justice Commission is resuming selection of Bridgeport’s top prosecutor by video conferencing.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Selection-for-Bridgeport-top-prosecutor-goes-on-15229115.php

Correction officers attacked in CT prison escape attempt

The Department of Correction said the two inmates said “their intent was to escape” when they attacked officers at the Uncasville prison.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Correction-officers-attacked-in-CT-prison-escape-15229100.php

Matt Kenseth Back to NASCAR as Larson Replacement at Ganassi

Former NASCAR champion Matt Kenseth will come out of retirement to compete for Chip Ganassi Racing

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/matt-kenseth-back-to-nascar-as-larson-replacement-at-ganassi/2261627/

2 charged in torching of car reported stolen

The investigation was assisted by the Milford Fire Marshal`s Office and the Connecticut State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit that provided an accelerant detection canine.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/2-charged-in-torching-of-car-reported-stolen-15228925.php

Man Runs 26 Miles on NYC Roof in Lieu of Boston Marathon

Stephen England has finished more than 20 marathons and 75 ultra marathons in the last few years, but his latest race is unquestionably his most unique. England had planned to run in the Boston Marathon, originally set for April 20, but it was delayed until September due to the coronavirus pandemic. But England sticks to his schedule. On Monday, the...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/national-international/man-runs-26-miles-on-nyc-roof-in-lieu-of-boston-marathon/2261535/

Source: National Guard to provide aid for nursing home inspections

The state health department, criticized for what some claimed were lax inspections on nursing homes, will now have the help of National Guard medical units for these visits.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Source-National-Guard-to-provide-aid-for-nursing-15228711.php

Dog rescued from deep canal along Seymour river

Seymour Fire Marshal Timothy Willis said the dog in the deep canal “was shaking and appeared scared.”

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Dog-rescued-from-deep-canal-along-Seymour-river-15228586.php

Stop & Shop, union seek ‘extended first responder’ designation

Stop & Shop has more supermarkets in Connecticut than any other chain with just over 90 in total, with parent Ahold Delhaize also operating Hannaford.

from Business https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/Stop-Shop-union-seek-extended-first-15228424.php

2020 Revaluation

Work on the 2020 Revaluation is continuing despite the hardships incurred by the COVID-19 virus.

from Newington, CT - News Flash https://www.newingtonct.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=1329

No one injured in Hattertown Road crash

Driver was out of the vehicle when first responders arrived.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/No-one-injured-in-Hattertown-Road-crash-15228457.php

Monroe suffers fifth death, positives remain among lowest in county

In both Fairfield County and statewide, the total number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 has continued to drop.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Monroe-suffers-fifth-death-positives-remain-15228332.php

COVID Can’t Stop The Arts: Virtual Student Art Show at HCC

BRIDGEPORT — For the first time in its history, the Housatonic Community College Student Art Show is being presented in an online-only format.

Normally held in the college’s Burt Chernow Galleries, the spring exhibit is being resented virutally since the campus is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show features 75 paintings, drawings, pastels, digital images, sculpture and ceramics created by 40 of Housatonic’s student artist.

While classes continue online at the two-year community college, Housatonic Art Professor Tom Brenner said students saw the show as a way to not only display their work but connect with friends and fellow students.

Luis Lopez of Stratford, a second-year art student at Housatonic called it the “best thing.” His favorite piece in the show is a portrait of his professor, entitled ‘Observationalist Portrait Of Andy Pinto’.

“The assignment was to paint what your eye actually sees, and I get flares and eye floaters that look like flashing blue dots. The portrait has both elements and is true to what I really notice,” Lopez said.

“Now, more than ever, people need the arts,” said Thomas Coley, Acting President Housatonic Community College and Regional President, CSCU Shoreline-West. “The arts feed the soul, and this show is not only a testament to the talent of our students but also the commitment of our faculty. Bravo!”

To view the Housatonic Community College Virtual Student Art Exhibition, visit https://www.housatonic.edu/studentgallery.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/COVID-Can-t-Stop-The-Arts-Virtual-Student-Art-15228386.php

Battle at Ridgefield – Today in History: April 27

On April 27, 1777, American forces under the command of Major General David Wooster attacked the retreating British troops under Major General William Tryon in Ridgefield. In anticipation of Tryon’s return march to Long Island Sound after the April 25 and 26 attack on Danbury, Wooster, General Benedict Arnold and General Gold Selleck Silliman deployed their forces of militia and members of the Continental Army farther westward. While Wooster attacked Tryon from the rear, Arnold and his men set up a roadblock at the north end of Ridgefield’s town center. It was here that the fiercest of the fighting occurred.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/battle-at-ridgefield-today-in-history/

USS Tullibee – Today in History: April 27

On April 27, 1960, the USS Tullibee, the first atomic submarine to use turbo-electric propulsion, was launched. The Tullibee was also the first in a new class of hunter-killer submarines or ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) weapons, the first to be equipped with the AN/BQQ-series Sonar, and the first submarine to have the torpedo tubes amidships. This “all-Connecticut” prototype was built by Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/uss-tullibee-today-in-history-april-27/

Tulane Basketball Player Charged With Murder in Georgia

A Tulane University basketball player who recently declared for the NBA draft has been charged in a Georgia slaying

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/tulane-basketball-player-teshaun-hightower-charged-with-murder-in-georgia/2261360/

Rodman Rules: Armstrong Talks Rodman’s Role in Bulls Titles

Dennis Rodman was one of the rivals Michael Jordan had to conquer on his way to his first run of three straight NBA titles.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/rodman-rules-armstrong-talks-rodmans-role-in-bulls-titles/2261326/

NASCAR Driver Ryan Newman to Return to Racing Following Fiery Crash

NASCAR driver Ryan Newman announced Sunday that he will return to the driver's seat and continue racing once the coronavirus quarantine is lifted, NBC News reports.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/nascar-driver-ryan-newman-to-return-to-racing-following-fiery-crash/2261317/

Local Lacrosse Coaches Spark Nation-Wide Competition

High school athletes everywhere miss being on the field. “I really miss having lacrosse every day after school,” said Avon boys lacrosse junior Owen Folkwein. “It gave me something to do and I miss all my friends I had on the team.” And turning off that competitive instinct doesn’t come easy. Lacrosse players have been working on their stick skills...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/local-lacrosse-coaches-spark-nation-wide-competition/2261285/

NFL Draft Averages Record 8.4M Viewers Across 3 Days

Seth Markman was just as nervous as NFL coaches and general managers about the unknown factors involved with a virtual draft. But the ESPN executive producer said he was overwhelmed with how everything came together over the three days. It also ended up being must-see TV as the first significant live sporting event since the coronavirus pandemic ground everything to...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/nfl-draft-averages-record-8-4m-viewers-across-3-days/2261270/

Hospitalizations from coronavirus continue to fall, 62 more CT deaths

Since Saturday, 687 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, have been confirmed. The total number of cases in Connecticut is now 25,269.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Hospitalizations-from-coronavirus-continue-to-15227418.php

49ers Fill Needs, Packers Fall Short on Draft Weekend

The defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers did a good job filling their needs on draft weekend. The Green Bay Packers were among the teams that didn't do as well.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/49ers-fill-needs-packers-fall-short-on-draft-weekend/2261174/

Multi-vehicle accident closes lanes on I-95

The accident, reported at 1:40 p.m., has closed the left and right lanes between Exits 32 and 33 in Stratford.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Multi-vehicle-accident-closes-lanes-on-I-95-15227251.php

Vin Scully at Home Recovering After Being Hospitalized for a Fall

Legendary retired Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully was back home Saturday night, recuperating from injuries suffered during a fall, and thanking Los Angeles County firemen and his hospital care providers. The 92-year-old Scully fell in his home Tuesday afternoon, according to the team, who reported that he was resting comfortably after being hospitalized. The extent of his injuries was not disclosed....

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/vin-scully-at-home-recovering-after-being-hospitalized-for-a-fall/2261147/

COVID-19-era works by New Haven area artists speak of angst, thanks

Photo essay: We checked in with well-known New Haven area artists to see what they’ve been creating during COVID-19. Here’s the result.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/COVID-19-era-works-by-New-Haven-area-artists-15222271.php

103-year-old Fairfield woman dies from coronavirus complications

Phyllis Beatrice Antonetz was born in New York City on March 8, 1917.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/103-year-old-Fairfield-woman-dies-from-15227039.php

Wet and cool April continues with 17th day of rain

According to the Northeast Regional Climate Center as of today, there has 17 days of measurable rainfall this month.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/weather/article/Wet-and-cool-April-continues-with-17th-day-of-rain-15226988.php

The British Attack Danbury – Today in History: April 26

Governor Tryon’s Expedition to Danbury
– University of Connecticut Libraries’, Map and Geographic Information Center (MAGIC)

On April 25, 1777, British forces land at the mouth of the Saugatuck River with plans to attack Danbury. General William Howe had ordered Major General William Tryon, royal governor of New York, to destroy the Continental military supplies stored there. Tyron’s force of about 1,800 men marched to Danbury, where, late on April 26, they burned 20 houses and a number of storehouses and barns.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/the-british-attack-danbury-today-in-history/

Frederick Law Olmsted Born – Today in History: April 26

On April 26, 1822, Frederick Law Olmsted was born in Hartford. Often described as the founder of landscape architecture in America, Olmsted was also a journalist, author and social critic, especially in regard to free labor. In 1858, New York City’s new Central Park Commission appointed Olmsted the architect-in-chief and superintendent, and he oversaw the new park’s design and construction, eventually realizing his plan of a “Greensward” or naturalistic landscape. Over the course of his career as a landscape architect, Olmsted designed many residential estates, university campuses and parks, including Connecticut’s Walnut Hill Park in New Britain and Seaside and Beardsley Park, both in Bridgeport.

Who Knew?

…That in the 1850s the Reverend Horace Bushnell commissioned Frederick Law Olmsted to landscape what is known today as Bushnell Park in Hartford. Olmsted, however, turned down the park design to focus on his work completing New York’s Central Park landscape.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/frederick-law-olmsted-born-today-in-history/

Former Weston First Selectwoman talks coronavirus experience, concerns

As she continues to recover from COVID-19, the town’s former First Selectwoman talked about her experience and concerns.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Former-Weston-First-Selectwoman-talks-coronavirus-15226601.php

NBA Opening Some Training Facilities to Players Friday: AP Source

NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/nba-opening-some-training-facilities-to-players-friday-ap-source/2261035/

Led by LSU, Alabama, SEC Players Dominate Remote NFL Draft

Maybe the Southeastern Conference should simply hold onto its players and become part of the NFL

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/national-international/led-by-lsu-alabama-sec-players-dominate-remote-nfl-draft/2261032/

With usual hearings and workshops on hold, Stratford budget goes to Ordinance Committee

The town budget process, with workshops and hearings suspended by the coronavirus outbreak, moves on to Monday’s committee meeting.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/politics/article/With-usual-hearings-and-workshops-on-hold-15226329.php

New Canaan’s Niang, UConn’s Peart excited to head to NFL

New Canaan’s Lucas Niang and UConn’s Matt Peart both selected late in third round in NFL draft.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/New-Canaan-s-Niang-UConn-s-Peart-excited-to-15226288.php

CT sees another 98 coronavirus deaths, but hospitalizations continue to fall

The state saw a decline in hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients similar to Friday’s.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/CT-sees-another-98-coronavirus-deaths-but-15226305.php

Coronavirus is breaking the food supply chain

Government officials insist the U.S. has plenty of food, including Gov. Ned Lamont, who last week called it “anxiety” about a shortage.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Coronavirus-is-breaking-the-food-supply-chain-15226028.php

ACLU: Judge dismisses lawsuit aimed to protect prisoners from coronavirus

A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit asking the state to take emergency action to protect incarcerated individuals from the spread of the novel coronavirus, the American Civil Liberties Union announced Saturday.

The lawsuit, which the ACLU filed in Connecticut Superior Court on April 3, asked the court to order Gov. Ned Lamont and state Department of Correction Commissioner Rollin Cook to release prisoners who were vulnerable to becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, according to an ACLU statement.

The ACLU also asked the state to release persons “being held pre-trial on lesser charges or low bond amounts, being held solely for technical violation of probation or parole, eligible for home confinement or supervised release, or within six months of the end of their sentence” and to submit a plan to protect those who remained incarcerated, the ACLU said.

The organization condemned the judge’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit.

David McGuire, ACLU of Connecticut executive director, called it a “cruel decision” in a statement available online.

"Our hearts go out to the loved ones of incarcerated people, whom the state continues to put in harm’s way from COVID-19. We will not stop fighting, and we are using every tool at our disposal to require Governor Lamont and Commissioner Cook to fulfill their constitutional and moral obligation to protect incarcerated people from COVID-19," said Dan Barrett, ACLU of Connecticut...

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/ACLU-Judge-dismisses-lawsuit-seeking-to-release-15225981.php

Town Council Special Meeting Today

Watch the Town Council special budget meeting live...

from Newington, CT - News Flash https://www.newingtonct.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=1328

An Orderly and Decent Government

The following is a digital presentation of An Orderly and Decent Government, an exhibition on the history of representative government in Connecticut developed by the Connecticut Humanities in April, 2000, and put on display in the Capitol concourse of the Legislative Office Building, Capitol Avenue, Hartford.

For almost four hundred years, Connecticut legislators have sought “the common good.” But the agenda of the legislature has always been set by changes in the world around it. Wars, shifts in the economy, political victories and other significant events and developments have constantly reshaped life in Connecticut and challenged the legislature to redefine the common good. To Thomas Hooker and Connecticut’s founders, the common good meant enforced religious conformity. To 19th-century legislators, it meant unhindered economic growth; by the 1930s, the common good meant massive public assistance for victims of the Great Depression.

From the very first, Connecticut’s search for the common good rested on the idea of representation. While today we take for granted that each adult should have an equal vote, very different notions prevailed for much of our history. We’ve always felt that legislators should represent the will of the people. But who selects these officials and whether they should reflect the whole society they serve has been debated for most of the span of Connecticut’s representative form of government.

Since its very beginning, the legislature itself has changed enormously in the way it conducts its business and in the resources at its disposal to do the people’s work more effectively. These transformations, too, are part of the story of representative government in Connecticut.

The General Assembly’s continuing challenge has been making self-government work. The simple society of Connecticut’s founders has long since disappeared, but still with us after all these years is the conviction that we can govern ourselves successfully. That commitment to representative government runs like a straight line throughout our history, connecting us directly to those visionaries who first placed their faith in the people almost four centuries ago.

The Connecticut General Assembly is one of longest continually active legislative bodies in the history of the world. This is its story.

Click on a picture above to learn its story or take the tour in its entirety by clicking “Next.”

Next >>

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/an-orderly-and-decent-government/

New London’s Dillon, New Canaan’s Niang, UConn’s Peart top 100 NFL draft picks

New London’s Dillon, New Canaan’s Niang and UConn’s Peart all top 100 picks in 2020 NFL draft.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/New-London-s-Dillon-New-Canaan-s-Niang-15225498.php

Officials: Bridgeport business violated CT coronavirus orders

A city business was ordered to close down Thursday after it was found to be open in violation of Gov. Ned Lamont’s executive order.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Officials-Bridgeport-business-violated-CT-15225304.php

Non-life-threatening injuries in Bridgeport stabbing

Bridgeport police investigated a stabbing late Thursday night.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Non-life-threatening-injuries-in-Bridgeport-15225317.php

Steve Dalkowski, Inspiration for ‘Bull Durham,’ Dies at 80

The minor league pitcher whose career inspired the creation of Nuke LaLoosh in the movie “Bull Durham” has died

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/steve-dalkowski-inspiration-for-bull-durham-dies-at-80/2260840/

Fairfield police detective gets distinguished service award

A town detective was awarded for his research, creation and implementation of the SHAPE Our Youth program.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Fairfield-police-detective-gets-distinguished-15225254.php

Pitch and Catch: Round 2 of NFL Draft Starts With Receivers

Pitch and catch

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/pitch-and-catch-round-2-of-nfl-draft-starts-with-receivers/2260806/

NFL Draft: Bengals Take WR Higgins to Open 2nd Round

The Cincinnati Bengals on Friday opened the second round of the NFL draft by selecting WR Tee Higgins of Clemson. The first night of the NFL draft, on Thursday, averaged a record 15.6 million viewers on television, easily shattering the record set six years ago. Thursday night’s first round was aired on ABC, ESPN, the NFL Network and ESPN Deportes....

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/nfl-draft-bengals-take-wr-higgins-to-open-2nd-round/2260778/

43 percent of CT’s coronavirus-related deaths linked to nursing homes

About 43 percent of the COVID-19-related deaths in Connecticut were linked to nursing home patients, according to Josh Geballe.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/43-percent-of-CT-s-coronavirus-related-deaths-15224759.php

125 new deaths in coronavirus pandemic brings CT total to 1,764

Fairfield County cases of coronavirus have fallen by 13 percent, Gov. Lamont says.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/125-new-deaths-in-coronavirus-pandemic-brings-15224638.php

Accused killer with coronavirus asks to be freed, his lawyer says

A former city employee awaiting trial for a Bridgeport murder is asking to be released after testing positive for the new coronavirus.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Accused-killer-with-coronavirus-asks-to-be-freed-15224423.php

GOP leader: Lamont should delay raises during coronavirus crisis

Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano challenged Gov. Ned Lamont and unionized state employees to delay raises due this summer.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/GOP-leader-Lamont-should-delay-raises-during-15224386.php

ZBA Legal Notice 05/07/2020

The Newington Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a meeting...

from Newington, CT - News Flash https://www.newingtonct.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=1327

Pick-Six: Intriguing Players Available on Day 2 of NFL Draft

Six wide receivers were taken in the first round of the NFL draft and another half dozen could go on Day 2, when rounds two and three are completed.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/pick-six-intriguing-players-available-on-day-2-of-nfl-draft/2260568/

Things to Do From Home

While you stay safe and stay home here is a suggestions of things to do to keep you entertained, learning, relaxed and fit!

from Newington, CT - News Flash https://www.newingtonct.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=1326

Lamont, Cuomo lambast U.S. Senate leader McConnell for suggesting coronavirus bankruptcy

Governors of New York and Connecticut react angrily to suggestion that states in financial trouble from coronavirus should declare bankruptcy that is prohibited in their constitutions.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Lamont-Cuomo-lambast-U-S-Senate-leader-15224126.php

Union: State not holding nursing homes accountable

A union representing nursing home workers said Friday that many employees are getting sick due to exposure to the new coronavirus, made worse by the lack of proper protective equipment.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Union-State-not-holding-nursing-homes-accountable-15224121.php

New this week -Qello - amazing live moments in music online

Watch over 1,500 of the most amazing live moments in music. It's the world's largest collection of full length concerts and music documentaries streamed on demand to just about any digital device.

from Newington, CT - News Flash https://www.newingtonct.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=1325

Monroe schools institute pass/fail last quarter grading plan

Grades for the first three quarters will be given their usual weight; the district will grade the end of the school year as pass, fail, incomplete and passed with distinction.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Monroe-schools-institute-pass-fail-last-quarter-15223839.php

Monroe residents join call for no tax increase

The virtual debate was one of several public meetings the town has called to get input on the 2020-21 spending plan.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Monroe-residents-join-call-for-no-tax-increase-15223772.php

TPZ Notice of Decision 04/22/2020

The Town Plan and Zoning Commission took the following actions...

from Newington, CT - News Flash https://www.newingtonct.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=1324

Will federal coronavirus school aid fill learning gaps or budget holes?

Concern is mounting that $111 million in federal aid will be used to plug municipal budget holes caused by the pandemic rather than fund additional education programs.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Will-federal-coronavirus-school-aid-fill-learning-15223548.php

Opinion: NFL Delivers Draft When It Matters Most

For a moment, at least, it looked like the NFL had made a late trade with the White House for Dr. Anthony Fauci to announce the 2020 draft picks

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/opinion-nfl-delivers-draft-when-it-matters-most/2260378/

The Hartford Wheel Club: Disparity in the Gilded Age

By Steve Thornton

World Traveler and lecturer , W.H. (Billy) Rhodes, Charter Member Hartford Wheel Club, 1886 – Connecticut Historical Society

In early 1893, the boys at the Hartford Wheel Club had a great idea: they would throw a party and dress up like poor people! The members of the club themselves, of course, were not poor; being a dues-paying Hartford Wheel Club member was an expensive hobby. Back then a cycle cost the modern equivalent of $3,800, half a year’s wages for an average workman. (Albert Pope manufactured these “penny farthings,” single high-wheeled vehicles, at his factory on Washington Street.) The Wheel Club took their cycles to races in other states, which often meant two- or three-day treks. Since the work week typically lasted 6 days (and at least 60 hours), only the leisure class found spare time and money to compete.

The party, it seemed, was the perfect occasion for Wheel Club members to reaffirm their place in the social order, and so on January 20, 1893, they held their “Hard Times Supper” at their club rooms on the corner of Main and Grove Street. The club demanded a strict dress code for the Hard Times event. “Anyone wearing a collar will be thrown out the window,” the invitation read. (The detachable celluloid collar was a formal accessory, and only manual laborers walked around without them.) The rules forbid cigars and cigarettes as well. Most of the poor and unemployed were not buying smokes when they could not feed their families. Party-goers smoked crude corn cob pipes instead.

Detail from The Hartford Courant article “Current Bicycle Gossip: Arrangements for the Hard Times Supper Well Under Way,” January 10, 1893.

The party’s organizers designed the bill of fare to fit the club’s poverty theme as well. It is likely the Wheel Club members regularly dined on steak and champagne, but for this meal they were only offered hardtack, dried herring, cold pork, and cider. The Wheel Club affair could not compete with spectacles of the very rich, of course; such as the dinner party Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish of New York hosted for her dog during which the pet wore a diamond collar worth $390,000 in today’s dollars. But what Hartford’s young men lacked in ridiculous ostentation, they made up for in mean-spirited fun.

Hartford in the Gilded Age

The panic of 1893 was no joke, however. It helped give rise to an era of slums, sweatshops, and widespread poverty and adversely affected the greater part of Hartford’s population. Massive unemployment meant more hobos roaming the city, which spurred the Rev. John J. McCook to lobby for restricting “tramps” to a limited section of Hartford where the almshouse resided. Women unable to find work often began selling their bodies for money. (During this period Hartford was home to 12 brothels and roughly 400 prostitutes.) The Irish immigrant population lived in poverty in the east side neighborhood known as “Pigville.” The African American population was small, but widespread discrimination meant that black families suffered the worst housing and health conditions of any ethnic or racial group in the capital city.

Three African American women in front of east side tenements, Pearl Street, Hartford – Hartford History Center, Hartford Public Library

This was life in Hartford during the “Gilded Age,” a term coined by Mark Twain and the title of his first novel, co-authored with Charles Dudley Warner. The book served as an exposé of the land speculation, corruption, and excess wealth of the period.

“Where are the poor of Hartford?” Mark Twain wrote when he first visited the city. “I confess I do not know. They are ‘corralled,’ doubtless—corralled in some unsanctified corner of this paradise whither my feet have not yet wandered I suppose.”

By the time Twain moved to Connecticut, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today had been published and a stage play based on the book reached theaters in New York and Hartford. Twain championed labor unions as a means to balance the wealth disparity between the “1 percent” of the day and everyone else.

As it turned out, however, even the wealthy Hartford Wheel Club succumbed to the economic hardship of the period. The club failed to pay their rent in October 1899 and their landlord ultimately evicted them and seized their property.

Steve Thornton is a retired union organizer who writes for the Shoeleather History Project

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/the-hartford-wheel-club-disparity-in-the-gilded-age/

Cowboys: QB Dak Prescott’s Older Brother Jace Dies at 31

Jace Prescott, the older brother of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, died Thursday. He was 31.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/dak-prescotts-older-brother-jace-dead-at-31/2260311/

One Constant in This Unique NFL Draft: Joe Burrow at the Top

Joe Burrow was the one constant in a most unique NFL draft

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/one-constant-in-this-unique-draft-joe-burrow-at-the-top/2260234/

NFL Draft: Bengals Take QB Joe Burrow With Top Pick

The Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday made LSU QB Joe Burrow the first pick of the NFL draft. Burrow becomes the ninth quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy and then be the first overall selection in the NFL draft since 1967. In addition, Burrow joins Cam Newton (2011) as the only quarterbacks since 1967 to become the NFL’s first overall draft...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/nfl-draft-bengals-take-qb-joe-burrow-with-top-pick/2260228/

Longtime Hartford Courant reporter Josh Kovner remembered after his death

Longtime Connecticut reporter Josh Kovner was remembered fondly by his former colleagues and those who knew him following his death on Thursday.

Kovner most recently worked at the Hartford Courant, where he spent 24 years.

“We learned today that our dear friend and colleague Josh Kovner has died,” the Guild wrote in a post on Twitter.

He was one of more than 50 staff members at the Courant to join the Guild.

“Josh was a fierce journalist and dedicated teacher, the perennial voice of the voiceless and advocate of the underdog. Our hearts are with his family,” the Guild said.

A cause of death was not immediately provided.

A tenacious reporter who covered child protection and social justice for the Courant, Kovner worked on a variety of essential stories over the years.

Kovner was part of the Pulitzer-winning team overage of the Lottery shootings and the Pulitzer-finalist team coverage of the Sandy Hook school shootings.

He won a national award for a project about an 11-year-old boy with autism, titled “Saving Evan.”

Andrew Julien, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Courant, said the paper lost “a cherished colleague today with the unexpected passing of Josh Kovner. Josh was a brilliant storyteller who used his position to investigate wrongdoing and speak for those whose voices weren’t always heard. We will miss him greatly.”

Kovner previously taught at...

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Longtime-Hartford-Courant-reporter-Josh-Kovner-15222384.php

Fairfield’s Vincent Eze granted a sixth season of eligibility

Vincent Eze, the leading rebounder on the Fairfield men’s basketball team, has been granted a sixth season of eligibility.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Fairfield-s-Vincent-Eze-granted-a-sixth-season-15222259.php

Seymour firefighters rescue dog stuck under porch

A dog was reunited with its owner after it was rescued from under a front porch Wednesday night.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Seymour-firefighters-rescue-dog-stuck-under-porch-15222113.php

State stops flu reports for the season

Though the state Department of Public Health typically tracks flu activity until May, an official said Thursday that the reports had been suspended for the season.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/State-stops-flu-reports-for-the-season-15222080.php

CT could start to reopen ‘sometime in June’

Those working to reopen Connecticut after the pandemic say they’ll have plans to start to reopen the state by May 20.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/CT-could-start-to-reopen-sometime-in-June-15222034.php

Tom Brady Enters Stranger’s Home in Latest Tampa Misstep: ‘Making Myself at Home’

Legendary quarterback Tom Brady on Thursday admitted to a series of comedic missteps around his new Tampa home, including "breaking and entering" and "trespassing," according to NBC News.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/om-brady-enters-strangers-home-in-latest-tampa-misstep-making-myself-at-home/2260093/

95 more coronavirus-related deaths in CT; hospitalizations down

As the state continues to see more deaths from COVID-19, the number of currently hospitalized individuals dropped slightly.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/95-more-coronavirus-related-deaths-in-CT-15221900.php

Schools reopening could be phased in, says CT education commissioner

A plan to reopen schools in the state on May 20 — and in the fall — will be dictated by safety, Commissioner of Education Miguel Cardona said on Thursday.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced two weeks ago the possible reopening of schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic was being pushed back by a month

At the time, Cardona said the reopening date would be re-evalutated as the time gets closer.

“This decision has not been made lightly,” Cardona said at time time.

On Thursday, in an interview, Cardona said several scenarios have been discussed on what the reopening might look like and involve, but that no decisions have yet been made.

“I talked to the governor yesterday about it,” Cardona said. “He is listening to us and of course the health commissioner about what we need to have ready.”

The governor’s Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group has an education subcommittee that is looking at what is reasonable, Cardona said.

It is possible that a re-entry could be phased in.

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference has announced that all postseason tournaments have been canceled, while continuing to hold out hope that some sports can be played in June.

What the opening of school in the fall looks like is also uncertain.

“I am hopeful as of today that we are going to be able to transition back into the classrooms in the fall in a manner that is safe for students,” Cardona said. “But a lot of that is really dependent on ... the transmission of COVID-19...

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Schools-reopening-could-be-phased-in-says-CT-15221911.php

Four state employee coronavirus deaths include three at Southbury location

The state expects to release a list of state employees who have died with COVID-19 among the far-flung workforce of about 50,000.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Four-state-employee-coronavirus-deaths-include-15221766.php

Wreath-laying marks 33rd anniversary of L’Ambiance tragedy as coronavirus prevents annual remembrance

Social-distancing rules precluded the annual gathering to remember the 1987 construction accident. Instead, two sisters whose father died placed a wreath at the L’Ambiance Plaza memorial.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Wreath-laying-marks-33rd-anniversary-of-15221830.php

Woods, Mickelson to Play Golf With Brady, Manning for COVID-19 Relief

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are ready for a made-for-TV rematch at a time when fans are craving live action. And this time, they’ll have company. Turner Sports says quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will join them for a two-on-two match sometime in May. Missing from the announcement were such details as when and where the match would be...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/fantastic-foursome-tiger-woods-phil-mickelson-to-play-golf-with-tom-brady-and-peyton-manning-for-covid-19-relief/2260010/

Rolling Stones - including Weston’s Keith Richards - release coronavirus-era song

The song’s title is “Living in a Ghost Town.”

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Rolling-Stones-including-Weston-s-Keith-15221409.php

CT jobless totals surge into Great Depression territory — for now

With updated unemployment totals Thursday, it is apparent that one of every four people available to work in Connecticut lack jobs, pending any post-pandemic rehiring.

from Business https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/CT-jobless-totals-surge-into-Great-Depression-15221413.php

Former UConn fire captain hurt in crash with DUI driver

Dana Barrow Jr., 63, of Scotland, remains in critical condition at Hartford Hospital.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Former-UConn-fire-captain-hurt-in-crash-with-DUI-15220748.php

Prospects Ready for Their Closeup on NFL Draft Night From Home

Fifty-eight prospects will take part remotely in the NFL draft, which has gone virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/prospects-ready-for-their-closeup-on-nfl-draft-night-from-home/2259787/

John Rogers was a 19th-Century Sculptor for the Common Man

John Rogers was an American sculptor whose style and production methods made his art popular with middle-class art collectors in the 19th century. His works, which evoked feelings of nostalgia and a longing for simpler times, helped Americans come to terms with the contentious issues of the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. Between 1859 and 1892, Rogers sold approximately 80,000 plaster sculptures consisting of roughly 80 different designs. He spent the latter part of his life in the quiet town of New Canaan, where in his workshop he produced some of his best-known and most-loved works.

Early Life

Born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1829, Rogers was the son of an unsuccessful Boston merchant. Rather than going into business himself, after attending Boston’s English High School, Rogers spent six years in Manchester, New Hampshire, learning to become a master mechanic. By the age of 20, clay modeling was a favorite hobby for Rogers. When the Panic of 1857, a severe financial downtown, ended his brief stint working on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Rail Road in Missouri, he decided he wanted to become a professional sculptor.

John Rogers, Taking the Oath and Drawing Rations, 1865, painted plaster – Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Rogers and Son

Rogers went to Europe in 1858 and spent six months studying in Paris and Rome. Upon his return to the United States, he set up a business in Chicago that met with enough success to give him the confidence to put his skills on display in New York City (just prior to the outbreak of the Civil War).

Sculpting the Civil War

Rogers did not fight in the Civil War—he received his draft notice just days before General Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Instead, Rogers spent the war years sculpting. Between 1861 and 1865, he produced 14 different Civil War groups. Rather than depicting heroes or moments from great battles, Rogers’s sculptures displayed intimate moments from the home front or scenes of common soldiers in their camps during peaceful interludes.

Rogers’s most famous work (as well as his personal favorite) was Taking the Oath and Drawing Rations, originally cast in November of 1865. In it, Rogers took a sentimental look at the path of post-war reunification by focusing on the moment in which a Southern mother places her hand on the Bible to take an oath of allegiance to the United States in order to receive food rations. The Union officer and both boys gaze intently at the woman. As scholars have noted, this artistic decision by Rodgers echoes popular sentiments that traditional domestic femininity would knit together war-torn families—as well as the nation. Within months of its casting, Rogers sold 300 copies of Taking the Oath and quickly found orders for it exceeded his production capacity.

Mass Production Spurs Popularity

Using bronze master molds costing between $450 and $1,500, Rogers mass produced plaster copies of sculptures that made them affordable to the majority of American households. The popularity of these works was such that by the time the Civil War ended, Rogers employed three casters, eight finishers, and two colorists to keep up with the demand.

John Rogers Studio, 10 Cherry Street, New Canaan – Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Historic American Buildings Survey

Thanks in part to a decision to reach new consumers by publishing a catalogue of his works, Rogers’s business continued to grow throughout the latter half of the 19th century. His 1870 sculpture Coming to the Parson sold 8,000 copies. His 1875 Checkers Up at the Farm sold an additional 5,000 copies. All of this success helped support the construction of a studio Rogers built in New Canaan, in 1878. It was there that he spent the better part of his remaining years.

By the turn of the century, illness forced Rogers into retirement, and he died in 1904. Today, the studio in New Canaan where Rogers worked for much of his later life is a museum and is recognized by the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/john-rogers-was-a-19th-century-sculptor-for-the-common-man/

Road realignment to cause 2 years of detours in Bridgeport

Motorists traveling on East Main Street, near Beardsley Park, will be detoured onto Broadbridge Road and Huntington Turnpike.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Road-realignment-to-cause-2-years-of-detours-in-15220479.php

Electric vehicle roadmap released for CT

On Earth Day 2020, the DEEP released details on how the state intends to further introduce electric vehicles to Connecticut.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Electric-vehicle-roadmap-released-for-CT-15219997.php

Major rollover crash on Merritt Parkway in Trumbull

There were serious injuries during a major crash on the Merritt Parkway south in Trumbull Wednesday afternoon.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Major-rollover-crash-on-Merritt-Parkway-in-15219281.php

Retired Manchester nurse, ‘a great storyteller,’ dies with coronavirus

A retired nurse who worked 20 years for a family medical practice in Manchester died with COVID-19 on April 15, her obituary said.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Retired-Manchester-nurse-a-great-15219323.php

Coronavirus Shutdowns Will Likely Make NFL Draft Most Bet on Ever

For those who haven’t mastered the odds of Belarussian soccer or Russian table tennis, this week’s NFL draft gives U.S. gamblers their first opportunity in weeks to bet on an event about which they actually know something.

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/coronavirus-shutdowns-nfl-draft-sports-betting/2259538/

MLB Docks Red Sox 2020 Draft Pick Following Sign Stealing Probe

Major League Baseball released its report on the Boston Red Sox sign-stealing investigation Wednesday, docking the team a second-round draft pick in the 2020 draft because a video replay operator had used game feeds to revise signs. Former manager Alex Cora, who led the Sox to a World Series title and the most wins in team history, has been suspended...

from Sports – NBC Connecticut https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/red-sox-sign-stealing-investigation-report/2259512/

121 more deaths in coronavirus pandemic brings total to 1,544

Cases in Fairfield County continue to decline in coronavirus pandemic.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/121-more-deaths-in-coronavirus-pandemic-brings-15219118.php

Obituary: Coronavirus claims Simsbury woman who served meals to the homeless

A Simsbury woman who volunteered with a church group to serve meals to the homeless in Hartford died April 13 due to complications from COVID-19, according to her obituary.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Obituary-Coronavirus-claims-Simsbury-woman-who-15219068.php

West Hartford woman who opened 2 hair salons dies after coronavirus

An 86-year-old West Hartford woman who opened two hair salons in her lifetime died with COVID-19 April 13, according to her obituary.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/West-Hartford-woman-who-opened-2-hair-salons-dies-15219051.php

Judge: No release for accused child killer, three others concerned about coronavirus

Following a hearing, a judge rejected motions to free an accused child killer and three other pretrial inmates because of the pandemic.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Judge-rejects-freedom-for-accused-child-killer-15219064.php

‘We’re going to work our butt off’ — CT banks brace for PPP 2.0

In the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program, Connecticut ranked among the bottom half of states for loans approved on a per capita basis.

from Business https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/We-re-going-to-work-our-butt-off-CT-15219007.php

Ansonia man who enlisted to fight in WWII dies with coronavirus

John R. Collins, who died April 18 with COVID-19, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at age 17 to fight in WWII, according to his obituary.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Ansonia-man-who-enlisted-to-fight-in-WWII-dies-15219025.php

First Wallingford coronavirus death is retired elementary school teacher

A retired school teacher and town resident became Wallingford’s first confirmed death from the virus when she died March 30, according to her obituary and myrecordjournal.com.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/First-Wallingford-coronavirus-death-is-retired-15219014.php

Facility able to decontaminate 80,000 N95 masks a day opens in New Haven

The site is the seventh in the United States for Batelle, an Ohio-based nonprofit with an FDA approved mask decontamination system.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Facility-able-to-decontaminate-80-000-N95-masks-a-15218976.php

Bridgeport man nicknamed ‘Frankie Love’ dies of coronavirus complications

Francisco “Frankie Love” Torres, who died April 15, got his nickname from his loving personality, his obituary said.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Bridgeport-man-nicknamed-Frankie-Love-dies-15219042.php

Family seeks release of convicted killer due to coronavirus concerns

The family of an 80-year-old Connecticut prison inmate have filed a petition seeking his release to keep him safe from the coronavirus.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Family-seeks-release-of-convicted-killer-due-to-15218427.php

New mom with coronavirus recovering in CT after giving birth

After testing positive for coronavirus and dealing with breathing issues, Johana Mendoza Chancay delivered her daughter 14 weeks early.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/New-mom-with-coronavirus-recovering-in-CT-after-15218151.php

Fairfield University Announces New Leadership Positions

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield University has announced the appointment of Jill Buban as its new Vice President of Digital Strategy and Online Education, and Andres Carrano, as the new dean of the School of Engineering.

The appointments follow national searches. Buban’s appointment took place last week. Her job will be to oversee strategic development, infrastructure and programming, expand Fairfield’s online and hybrid academic program offerings, with a particular focus on graduate and professional studies.

The position has been posted since 2019 with the intent of hiring this spring, according to Jenn Anderson, a university spokeswoman.

Most recently, Buban has served as the chief academic officer of the Texas-based Unizin Consortium, overseeing the organization’s research activities and acting as the liaison for Unizin’s robust teaching and learning committee. Unizin was formed by a number of higher education institutions to collaborate and share ever-changing digital teaching.

Carrano, who will assume his new assignment on August 1, is currently a professor and associate dean for research in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing at Georgia Southern University.

In addition to prior faculty appointments at universities in Japan, Turkey, and Venezuela, Carrano served as a Fulbright scholar in Italy in 2018, and was awarded a NASA research fellowship at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 2016. He earned his MS and PhD degrees in industrial and systems engineering from North Carolina State University, and his BS degree in industrial engineering from Universidad Católica Andres Bello — the oldest of three Jesuit universities in Venezuela.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Fairfield-University-Announces-New-Leadership-15217867.php