Connect with us

Connecticut

Opinion: Let’s protect CT's men and women who keep the lights on

Published

10 months ago

on

Opinion: Let’s protect CT's men and women who keep the lights on


Most people don’t think much about their basic utility services. Electricity, natural gas and water just show up – a testament to the tens of thousands of utility workers across our state and country who keep those services working night and day and regardless of the weather. It’s a hard job, but utility workers are tough.

To keep all these services functioning, utilities must continually invest in the critical infrastructure to ensure those systems work. If you don’t invest in that infrastructure, over time, these systems break down because they are out in the elements, or they simply become old and outdated. Across Connecticut, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are doing this infrastructure maintenance daily to make sure the lights stay on.

Michael Monahan Credit: Michael Monahan

As a leader in the labor union which represents thousands of electrical workers in our state, let me assure you this work never stops to ensure reliable service for customers. But Connecticut may soon not be able to adequately invest in our water, gas and electric infrastructure. And without those investments, our state’s energy system will suffer, as will Connecticut’s utility workers.

This is because several utilities in Connecticut recently had their creditworthiness downgraded by rating agencies. Now, when those utilities go to borrow money from lenders so they can invest in maintaining their infrastructure, those borrowing costs will be higher. These utilities may be forced to forgo investments in their infrastructure because they cost too much, or utility customers are going to be forced to pay higher utility bills to compensate for those higher borrowing costs.

Advertisement

These credit downgrades occurred because the state’s utility regulators have created an uncertain environment that has thrown cold water on investment in our state’s energy system. Worse, unless regulators quickly step in to strengthen our utilities, more credit downgrades are on the horizon.

And this problem is only going to grow – quickly. Connecticut has immediate needs for infrastructure investment. In the case of electricity, we are going to need more power as data centers and electric vehicles proliferate. We need a regulatory environment that protects customers and workers while allowing for continuous and long-term investments in the electric grid. These changes will allow us to meet the needs of tomorrow and to enhance the grid to be more resilient to severe weather.

We are already seeing the direct consequences of the actions which have been taken by leaders in Connecticut. Job growth in this critical sector is at risk, as we have seen our union brothers and sisters see more opportunities outside of Connecticut in neighboring states like Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. IBEW’s members are neighbors, coaches, volunteers, and active members of their communities in Connecticut. They shouldn’t be worried about whether their jobs are safe in the state they call home because of regulatory policies that have made their job security a riskier proposition.

A failure to improve regulatory certainty will continue to have a detrimental impact on Connecticut’s union workers and residents who rely on utility services. We hope immediate action will be taken to address this issue in Hartford to bring certainty back to Connecticut for the benefit of working men and women and Connecticut’s utility customers.

Mike Monahan is the vice president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), District 2, which covers the New England states.

Advertisement



Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connecticut

Child confirmed as Connecticut’s first measles case in 4 years

Published

5 hours ago

on

December 15, 2025

By

Child confirmed as Connecticut’s first measles case in 4 years


Health

The child, who is under the age of 10 and unvaccinated, recently traveled internationally, health officials said.

FILE – A measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Andrews County Health Department, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Andrews, Texas. AP Photo/Annie Rice, File

An unvaccinated child in Connecticut has been diagnosed with measles, public health officials confirmed, the state’s first confirmed case of the highly contagious disease since 2021.

The child, who is under the age of 10, lives in Fairfield County, the Connecticut Department of Public Health announced last week. The child had recently travelled internationally before showing symptoms including cough, runny nose, congestion, fever, and eventually a full-body rash.

Advertisement

“The single best way to protect your children and yourself from measles is to be vaccinated,” Connecticut DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, said in a statement. “One dose of measles vaccine is about 93 percent effective, while two doses are about 97 percent effective.”

The United States has seen a record high 1,912 measles cases since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, the CDC reported. As of July 7, this year has also reported the most cases in more than 30 years, according to the International Vaccine Access Center.

Earlier this year, West Texas saw a measles outbreak of hundreds of cases, mostly among unvaccinated children who had to be hospitalized. About one in five unvaccinated people diagnosed with measles are hospitalized, Connecticut DPH said, and the disease can be especially dangerous for children.

“We must ensure we continue to protect those who matter most – children and other vulnerable people – from vaccine preventable illnesses through on-time vaccination,” Juthani said.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his overhaul on the childhood vaccine schedule and doubts on COVID vaccine safety, endorsed the measles vaccine after two children died from measles amid the outbreak in Texas.

Advertisement

“The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy said in April. 

Earlier this year, a Vermont child who had recently traveled internationally was confirmed to have been infected with measles. In March, a man tested positive for measles after traveling on an Amtrak train originating from Boston’s South Station to Washington D.C.

Profile image for Molly Farrar

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.





Source link

Continue Reading

Connecticut

Final Connecticut High School Football Top 25 Rankings – Dec. 14

Published

17 hours ago

on

December 14, 2025

By

Final Connecticut High School Football Top 25 Rankings – Dec. 14


The Connecticut high school football’s CIAC postseason wrapped up with the state championships this past weekend on Saturday.

Finishing in the No. 1 spot in this week’s final Top 25 rankings out of the Constitution State is Avon Old Farms after they defeated The Williston Northampton School, 35-21, in the Drew Gamere Bowl to end their season a few weeks ago. New Canaan sits right behind as they repeated as Class L champs. Which other teams from around Connecticut high school football deserves to be in the final set of Top 25 rankings for the 2025 campaign?

The Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.

Here are the last Connecticut high school football rankings for 2025, according to Massey as of Dec. 14.

Advertisement

1. Avon Old Farms Beavers

Avon Old Farms (10-0) opened up the Connecticut high school football season by avenging a loss to Brunswick School from last season and have set the tone for the rest of the campaign. The Beavers have a talented offense that’s averaging 40.7 points per game, led by quarterback Matthew Baer, running back Kharon Craig, and offensive tackle Charlie Thom (Notre Dame commitment).

The Beavers have concluded their season play out of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Counci (NEPSAC) when they defeated The Williston Northampton School last week in the Drew Gamere Bowl, 35-21. Avon Old Farms finishes as the No. 1 team in the Connecticut high school football rankings.

2. New Canaan Rams

The defending Class L state champion New Canaan Rams (13-0) have done it once again as they defeated Cheshire, 34-13.

The Rams have won back to back playoff games versus Darien and Weaver with ease, winning by a combined 85-13. New Canaan won its 16th state championship in head coach Lou Marinelli’s legendary career. With the win, New Canaan clinched their fourth undefeated season in program history for the Rams (1968, 1969, 2008, 2025).

New Canaan has used a high-powered offense to cruise past opponents this fall, with quarterback Maddox Hoffman throwing for 1,936 yards and 21 touchdowns. Running back Henry Stein leads the ground game as he’s rushed for 916 yards and seven touchdowns.

Advertisement

3. Choate Rosemary Hall Wild Boars

Choate Rosemary Hall (8-2) saw its 18-game winning streak snapped back in Week 1 when they lost against New Hampshire’s Phillips Exeter Academy in a battle of top-ranked teams in their respective states.

The Wild Boars will finish likely within the Top 5 of the rankings after they ended their 2025 season in exciting fashion as they avenged that defeat by beating Phillips Exeter Academy in the Leon Modeste Bowl in a 44-42 thriller.

In 2024, the Wild Boars had completed their second consecutive perfect season after defeating Brunswick School. They have lost only four games over the last four Connecticut high school football seasons and only allowed only four opponent to score double digits.

The Wild Boars are another prep school that features multiple future Division I players, including Tanner Raymond (Rutgers) and interior offense lineman Will Tellers.

4. St. Thomas More Chancellors

St. Thomas More (1-3) remain steady as the No. 3 team in our latest set of Connecticut high school football rankings after a 50-21 loss to New Jersey’s No. 3 team, Hun School to end their season.

Advertisement

The Chancellors only losses from the 2024 season came against Maryland’s St. Frances Academy, Hun School, and Florida’s IMG Academy, respectively. St. Thomas More doesn’t have anymore scheduled games left on their 2025 slate.

Among the players the Chancellors feature on their roster are four-star edge rusher Alhassan Iddrissu (UCF), cornerback Terron Johnson, running back Malichi Greaves, and linebacker Christian King.

5. Daniel Hand Tigers

The Daniel Hand Tigers (13-1) has dominated in the Class SS playoffs, dominating all three opponents by a combined score of 122-32, after defeating the Killingly Trailblazers, 37-13, on Saturday.

Fueling the Daniel Hand offensive attack is the strong play of senior signal caller Bobby Reh, who has thrown for 2,194 yards and 29 touchdowns to only three mere picks. Junior running back Lucca Boyce leads the ground game with 1,272 yards and 14 touchdowns.

6. St Joseph (8-2)
7. Cheshire Academy (7-3)
8. Windsor (12-1)
9. Brunswick School (6-4)
10. Greenwich (8-2)

Advertisement

11. Newtown (8-2)
12. Killingly (11-1)
13. Fairfield College Preparatory (8-2)
14. Wilton (10-2)
15. The Taft School (5-4)

16. Bunnell (10-3)
17. Kingswood-Oxford School (8-2)
18. Berlin (12-0)
19. The Loomis Chaffee School (3-6)
20. Darien (6-5)

21. Brookfield (8-3)
22. Staples (5-5)
23. Cheshire (8-3)
24. Southington (7-3)
25. Mark T. Sheehan (10-3)

For Connecticut high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Constitution State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Connecticut high school scores and football rankings.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Connecticut

Central Connecticut State hands Bearcats second straight loss

Published

1 day ago

on

December 14, 2025

By

Central Connecticut State hands Bearcats second straight loss


VESTAL, NY (WBNG) — In a second straight doubleheader Saturday following up a Bearcats women’s win, the Bearcats men’s team dropped their second consecutive home game, 84-67 to Central Connecticut State.

In a closely contested matchup early on, the Bearcats stayed in it heading into the break only trailing by seven points.

In the second half, Binghamton brought it to within four points before the Blue Devils pulled away once again and went on an 11-0 run and went up by as much as 20 points.

Darin Smith Jr. finished with a game high, 23 points for the Blue Devils.

Advertisement

The Bearcats were without center, Demetrius Lilley which led to junior forward, Zyier Beverly, having an increased role.

Beverly led Binghamton with 21 points and five rebounds.

After back-to-back losses at home, the Bearcats now go on the road for a three game road stretch starting on Wednesday, Dec. 17 against Pittsburgh at 7p.m.

Copyright 2025 WBNG. All rights reserved.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending