Connecticut
Middlebury Restaurant Honored With Wine Spectator Award
Award winners are from all 50 states and more than 75 countries and territories. Awards are given across three categories: Award of Excellence, presented to about 2,150 restaurants; the Best of Award of Excellence, presented to about 1,531 restaurants; and the Grand Award, presented to only four restaurants, including two California restaurants, Grasing’s in Carmel-by-the-Sea and Lazy Bear in San Francisco.
The winning restaurant from Middlebury is Vyne Restaurant & Bar at 1365 Whittemore Road. The restaurant serves American and Mediterranean cuisine with a wine list strong in French and Californian wines, according to Wine Spectator.
Wine Spectator said the Award of Excellence winners generally have a wine list of at least 100 vintages, while the Best of Award of Excellence winners generally have at least 350 selections. The Grand Award winners have 1,000 or more selections, presenting diners with a depth of vintages from some of the world’s most acclaimed winemakers.
Connecticut
Chilly temperatures continue for Thursday
While today is fair, it will be very cold and breezy.
The highs today are in the lower 20s with winds making it feel like single digits.
NBC Connecticut NBC Connecticut
By tonight it will be windy and brutally cold.
Wind chill “feels-like” is near negative 15 degrees.
The Sunday storm will give us glancing blow with a chance of some snow in Eastern CT and cold winds statewide.
Chilly temperatures will stick around for next week.
Connecticut
Connecticut Democrats to bring back legislation giving parents control over social media
Democrats plan to revive a proposal to give parents greater control over how children use social media.
“If they don’t like what we’re going to protect the kids, what is your plan to protect the kids?” Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Connecticut) said. “Otherwise, we’ll keep going with this.”
Leaders of the legislature’s General Law Committee joined Lamont for a press conference at the Capitol, saying they’ll introduce the bill once the legislative session starts on Feb. 4.
The bill would require parental approval before anyone under 18 years old can open a social media account.
Additionally, parents would need to approve the content children can view, set time limits for usage, and decide whether their accounts are public.
Attorney General William Tong (D-Connecticut) said the law would require parents to opt in to ensure they give consent.
That means social media platforms can’t, for example, make a minor’s account public as a default setting.
Lastly, the bill would prohibit social media companies from sending push notifications to children between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.
“What this specifically does is highlight a very vulnerable population and says there needs to be protections in place,” Rep. Roland Lemar (D-New Haven) said. “Children need to have these protections.
Lemar said social media can be a valuable resource, but he wants to safeguard children against potential harm.
Some experts have been raising concerns that social media platforms can become addictive, especially since they allow users to scroll content endlessly.
Those experts have also warned about increased risks of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues among children and teenagers.
“They’re still children, and they’re still vulnerable in how they’re developing those individual identities,” Connecticut Children’s pediatrician Dr. Robert Keder said. “They are subject to things like FOMO, or fear of missing out, or influencing body image.”
Tech companies pushed back against the bill last year, saying they’re already putting tools in place for parents.
Instagram, for example, announced a teen-friendly version of its app in October, with more age-appropriate content.
Christopher Gilrein, executive director with the lobbying firm Technet, said last year that “the industry has a longstanding commitment to provide parents and guardians with resources to help ensure a safe online experience for their children, and the industry has been at the forefront of educating parents and guardians about safety.”
Last year’s version received a 121-26 vote in the House, but the Senate failed to raise it for debate before the session ended.
A few Republicans raised concerns about whether the state could enforce the bill.
One of those Republicans, Rep. Lezlye Zupkus (R-Prostect), said she’ll need to review this year’s bill, but she supports the concept.
“We need to look at what our kids are looking at and what is age-appropriate for them and what they should be doing,” she said
Connecticut
House destroyed after fire in Tolland
Fire crews were dispatched to Bonair Hill Rd for a structure fire around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
When they arrived, the single-family home was fully involved, according to Town Manager Brian Foley.
Foley said in a post on Facebook that an adult male was outside on the property in serious medical distress and was transported to Rockville hospital. He also mentions that several family members got out safely and were staying at a neighbor’s house.
The home was completely destroyed, and the town staff and Red Cross are working to ensure the displaced family has access to any needed services, Foley said.
Local CT State Fire Marshals are on scene investigating the incident.
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