News

Route 8 Waterbury crash nets one arrest

WATERBURY [Dash] A Watertown man on parole was arrested by state police on Sunday following a motor vehicle crash on Route 8 North. Joselito Santiago Jr., 35, was speeding, struck another vehicle and went down an embankment where he then attempted to flee first responders, according state police. Police charged Santiago with reckless driving, driving […]

Miss Connecticut USA titleholders selected

A woman from Fairfield and a teen from Franklin, Conn. are the new Miss Connecticut USA and Miss Connecticut Teen USA. In competition finals held on Sunday in Windsor, Jenna Hofmann was selected as the new Miss Connecticut USA. She will go on to compete for Miss USA. Daviana Plaza was crowned the new Miss […]

Today’s Edition

Mahomes, Chiefs will face Eagles as they seek a Super Bowl three-peat

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are going for a three-peat in a Super Bowl rematch. This time, Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have Saquon Barkley. The Eagles and Chiefs will face off for the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in three years on Feb. 9 in New Orleans. Kansas […]

History, January 27

By The Associated Press Today is Monday, Jan. 27, the 27th day of 2025. There are 338 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 27, 1945, during World War II, Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland. Also on this date: In 1756, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart […]

Uphappy about election outcome? Then run for office yourself

The president recently took the oath of office; what does that mean to all of us? It is a promise to the people of our country that he will defend our democracy by following our Constitution and laws of the land. The oath begins with: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully […]

Birthright citizenship settled

When a politician insists a policy dispute or legal question is so thoroughly “settled” that it’s beyond the bounds of debate, that’s a good indication the politician in question is insecure in his ability to actually defend the status quo. Exhibit A: Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, who has joined 21 state attorneys general in […]

Plymouth eyes a new police station

PLYMOUTH – If the police department is ever going to get a new home, the taxpayers are going to have to support it. That was the general consensus during a tri-board meeting last Wednesday involving the Town Council, Board of Finance and committee charged with finding the best site at the lowest possible cost for […]

Naugatuck apartment developer appeals board denial

NAUGATUCK – Developers who wanted to build an apartment complex next to wetlands and a brook are appealing the Inland Wetlands Commission’s denial of the project. Initially the commission unanimously denied in March 2024 a proposed 271-unit apartment complex near Long Meadow Pond Brook after a two-hour long deliberation at a special meeting and after […]

BRASS TACKS: Cornwall going back to its roots

Cornwall seeks ways to honor her distant cousins in England St. Piran’s Day on March 5 is an important day in Cornwall, England. A representative of the BBC contacted town officials here in Cornwall, Conn., as well as those in other Cornwalls around the world, asking them to help mark the day. The Board of […]

Satre Hill Jumpfest starts on Friday

SALISBURY – Dazzling feats of athleticism will be witnessed on Satre Hill as the Salisbury Winter Sports Association hosts its 99th annual Jumpfest on Friday through Sunday. Crowds will gather to watch future Olympians soar down the hill, flying up to 200 feet through the air at speeds of more than 50 miles per hour. […]

Absentee rate drops at one Waterbury school

WATERBURY – A U.S. Department of Education program to increase parents’ involvement and improve student attendance is showing potential at Duggan School, one of six participating schools. The local nonprofit Bridge to Success was one of 15 organizations in the country to receive a $2.5 million grant in 2023 allotted over five years – $500,000 […]

Pushback at Southbury’s Heritage Village

SOUTHBURY – A Heritage Village plan to install factory-manufactured siding over existing cedar sidewalls has been tabled after receiving strong opposition from residents of the 55-and-over retirement community. A spokesperson for the Heritage Village Master Association confirmed the news Friday, stating that the level of pushback had simply grown too strong. Many of those who […]

Sharon Housing Trust signs term sheet for $1M grant

SHARON – Sharon Housing Trust has signed a term sheet with the state Department of Housing for a $1 million grant to refinance and improve three properties it owns at 91, 93 and 95 North Main St. The trust had applied for the grant in the spring of 2024. Execution of the term sheet means […]

Morning 5-Soviet Defectors

Mikhail Baryshnikov turns 77 today. Born in Latvia, then under the Soviet thumb, he defected to Canada in 1974 and became a U.S. citizen in 1986 5 Soviet defectors: 1) George Balanchine (1904-1983): Choreographer defected from Soviet Georgia in 1924. 2) Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004): Poet and essayist defected from Poland in 1951. Awarded Nobel Prize […]

John H. Minicucci

WATERBURY – John H. Minicucci, 82, of Waterbury, passed away Jan. 23, 2025. He was born Oct. 21, 1942 to the late Henry and Florence Minicucci. He was the beloved husband of Carol Minicucci of 43 years. John worked as a maintainer for the Waterbury Board of Education for about 40 years. He enjoyed spending […]

Video: A new exhibit at the Mark Twain House in Hartford

The co-curators of the new exhibit at Hartford’s Mark Twain House and Museum talk to reporter Michael Chaiken about what guests can expect in the house that Samuel Clemens built.

Know Your Rights

A nonprofit, international organization dedicated to addressing the needs and rights of refugees and immigrants worldwide since 1911 offers a guide for undocumented immigrants in the United States. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants notes that their tips, available on their website, are not a substitute for legal assistance. Their advice, written for their […]

Hegseth sworn in as defense secretary

Pete Hegseth was sworn in Saturday as the nation’s 29th secretary of defense, quickly joining President Trump’s Cabinet after a dramatic late-night vote in the Senate installed him as the Pentagon’s leader. Hegseth took the oath from Vice President JD Vance in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Rauchet, at his side […]

Trump leans into his pledge to eliminate taxes on tips

LAS VEGAS – President Donald Trump came to Las Vegas on Saturday to crow about his campaign promise to eliminate taxes on tips, signaling to allies in Congress the importance of the policy but stopping well short of offering details for making the slogan a reality. Instead, Trump spent most of his 40 minutes speaking […]

Only person with a functioning pig organ is thriving

An Alabama woman passed a major milestone Saturday to become the longest living recipient of a pig organ transplant – healthy and full of energy with her new kidney for 61 days and counting. “I’m superwoman,” Towana Looney told The Associated Press, laughing about outpacing family members on long walks around New York City as […]

Fast food workers struggle to survive

FRESNO, Texas – The only moment TiAnna Yeldell has to herself is when she’s sleeping, and that doesn’t happen much. The 44-year-old single mom of three works 80-hour weeks to provide for her children, ages 8, 14, and 18. During the day, she is a driver for Pizza Hut, where she earns $9.50 an hour […]

John Deere facing multiple lawsuits as farmers struggle to fix equipment

Already facing a class-action lawsuit related to repair practices, agricultural manufacturer John Deere is now being sued by the Federal Trade Commission, claiming the company has created an unfair monopoly that makes it difficult for farmers and independent technicians to repair their own equipment. At United Ag & Turf, a John Deere dealer in Canaan, […]

Trump’s immigration crackdown ignites debate among lawmakers

The return of President Donald Trump and his tough-on-immigration policies are reigniting debate at the state Capitol on Connecticut policies, including statutory limits on state and local cooperation in federal immigration enforcement. Democrats in the majority of the 187-seat General Assembly are proposing to expand state protections and benefits for immigrants regardless of legal status, […]

Safe harbor? In Waterbury’s undocumented community, fears grow about Trump’s immigration policy

WATERBURY – As violence and drug gang wars grew worse in Ecuador, Mirian Mieles increasingly feared human traffickers might take her children, Lucas Prado, 6, Mally Prado, 8, and Bryan Prado, 12. Mieles and her husband, Fernando Prado, decided to flee to the United States. They arrived in Waterbury on tourist visas. Now they face […]

‘I feel like I am being chased:’ Waterbury woman fears what may happen

WATERBURY – Anabel Navarrete did not think twice about risking her life. When her mother fell ill, Navarrete knew she had to get her lifesaving heart medication. She could not afford it working in her hometown, Amecameca de Juarez in Mexico. Navarrete made the 1,951-mile arduous journey over several days from Mexico to the United […]

Immigration 101

What is a tourist visa and how long does it last? The State Department states that a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to travel to the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for a temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. “Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas […]

Connecting with God: ICE raids would violate sacred places, Waterbury priests say

WATERBURY – Phones are ringing for Rev. Diego Jimenez and Rev. Andres Galeano of the All Saints Parish as dozens of fearful congregants worry about deportation due to President Donald Trump cracking down on undocumented immigrants. “There is a lot of uncertainty,” Galeano said. “There is a lot of fear about what is going to […]

Tong gives state’s undocumented TRUST advice

The state attorney general’s office issued an eight-page memo providing preliminary guidance to Connecticut’s immigrant community regarding the state TRUST Act. The Trust Act, adopted in 2013 and revised in 2019, places limits on state and local cooperation in federal immigration enforcement, including U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents. The memo prepared by Assistant Attorney […]

Schools in Waterbury, state bracing for arrests under Trump’s policy

City and school leaders in Waterbury are contemplating responses to a new Trump administration policy allowing immigration arrests at schools. One of President Donald Trump’s first actions after taking office for a second time on Jan. 20 was authorizing federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals, ending a policy that had […]