HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – As Bad Bunny prepares for his halftime performance, Connecticut’s Puerto Rican community is rallying behind the artist they view as a symbol of pride and representation.

The Puerto Rican performer’s selection as this year’s halftime act has generated both excitement and controversy, with some viewing the choice as divisive.

However, local Latino leaders say the performance represents a significant moment for their community.

Fernando Betancourt, executive director of the San Juan Center, the oldest Latino non-profit in Connecticut, said Bad Bunny has become a constant topic of conversation.

“That’s the topic of conversation for every Puerto Rican family. It’s constant. Every program in Puerto Rico, radio, TV, it’s constant,” Betancourt said.

Connecticut is home to about 285,000 Puerto Ricans, according to CTData.org. In 2024, Puerto Ricans made up about 8% of the state’s population.

Betancourt said Bad Bunny represents more than just entertainment for the community.

“Bad Bunny, in this particular juncture and particular point in history, is our pride, is our banner, to show the world,” he said.

The executive director praised not only the artist’s music but also his activism.

Bad Bunny recently spoke out against ICE while accepting an award at the Grammy Awards.

“We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we’re humans and we are Americans,” Bad Bunny said during his Grammy acceptance speech.

The announcement of Bad Bunny’s halftime performance has drawn criticism from some quarters.

President Donald Trump said he won’t attend Sunday’s game in part because Bad Bunny will be performing.

Betancourt said the opposition reflects a double standard.

“You don’t see that opposition by a sector of the population in the United States if Kendrick Lamar, or Justin Timberlake or Paul McCartney are performing at the Super Bowl. It just so happens that it is Bad Bunny,” he said.

Despite the controversy, Betancourt plans to focus on the positive aspects of the performance.

“This is about dignity, appreciation of art and respect. That’s the message,” he said.

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A Vernon public works employee was honored for saving a toddler’s life at a town council meeting Tuesday night.

In the middle of his trash route last Thursday morning, Doug Haiko saw a car on the side of the road and a mom in distress.

He said her 18-month-old boy was choking. Using the EMT training he learned years ago, he did the Heimlich maneuver, and after a while, the boy started breathing again.

“Really, wasn’t a lot of thinking involved,” said Haiko. “It was just get in and try to help.”

Haiko’s wife, Brianna, was on the phone with him when he went to help the boy.

“I was just on the phone with him, talking with him, and all of a sudden, I heard, ‘Do you need help?’ Didn’t really hear what was going on in the background,” she said. “And all I heard was him trying to call for an ambulance, calling for help.”

Haiko later explained what had happened to his wife. She said she wasn’t shocked her husband would be so quick to act.

“I’m very proud of him, it’s the kind of person he is,” she said. “I know he’s very low-key about it, but as a mom, I had a little more emotion. But I was very proud of him for stepping up and doing the right thing.”

The mayor and town council thanked Haiko for his willingness to jump in and help.

Connecticut State Police are searching for a driver who they say repeatedly switches license plates and cars and drives recklessly through Washington and New Milford.

The driver travels westbound on Route 109 every day around 6:45 a.m., police said.

While passing from Washington to New Milford, the driver is seen operating in a “reckless manner” and passing cars and school buses, according to a Facebook post from the Washington Resident Trooper Office.

Troopers tried to stop the driver on Route 8, but the person sped away so fast that police ended the chase, police said.

The two vehicles that police say the person drives are a green Subaru Legacy with Florida license plate 61931X and a red Jeep with an unknown New York license plate and plastic on the driver’s side window. Photos of the vehicles were shared in the Facebook post.

Police said they believe the driver works somewhere in New Milford.

Anyone with information should contact the Connecticut State Police.