Connecticut
Connecticut Celebrates Immigrants At 25th Annual Ceremony | CT News Junkie
HARTFORD, CT – Connecticut’s political leaders and activists joined immigrants and their families to celebrate the contributions of foreign-born residents at the state Capitol Wednesday.
The 25th annual Immigrant Day celebration was hosted by the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition (CIRC), a network of organizations committed to protecting the rights and economic development of refugee and immigrant communities in Connecticut. As part of the ceremony, eight immigrants received Immigrant of the Year, which honors individuals whose contributions have uplifted their communities and enrich the fabric of Connecticut.
“Today we acknowledge the contributions of immigrants in every sector of life: healthcare, business, education, culture, arts, refugee resettlement services, and more,” said Dana Bucin, CIRC board member and an immigration attorney. “But, at the same time, while we celebrate, we also have to acknowledge the dire need for immigration reform in this country, the dire need of helping immigrants achieve the American dream, whether they came here legally or in unfortunate circumstances that made them undocumented. Becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States is something that we need to help immigrants achieve and that is not easy, especially these days.”
State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, who immigrated to the United States with his parents from Taiwan, said Connecticut must remain welcoming and engaged with immigrant populations who are facing serious challenges.
“We as immigrants, who love and risk coming into this country, are very much in the midst of a very tumultuous time,” he said. “And I think it’s really important to remind all of us in this State Capitol of Connecticut, the people’s building, that this country and this state were built by immigrants. It is important for us to recognize the passion, the commitment and the sacrifices that have been made by immigrants that have made this country.”
Gov. Ned Lamont also addressed the gathering, saying the United States has not always lived up to its ideals and citing the country’s history of laws targeting immigrants. He also referenced the voyage of the St. Louis, a ship carrying hundreds of Jews fleeing Nazi Germany which was denied entry to the United States. The ship returned to Europe, where over 250 of the ship’s 937 passengers were killed in the Holocaust.
“That story is just a reminder to me what it means for America to be a home for refugees, and to be a beacon of hope for immigrants around the world,” he said. “Come to this country. We want you here. We need you here.”
The keynote for the event was delivered by Karim Ismaili, president of Eastern Connecticut State University and a first generation immigrant himself. Born to a Pakistani father and a Kenyan mother, his family fled Kenya to the United Kingdom in the 1970’s due to political unrest and anti-South Asian prejudice. His family also faced harassment and danger in London, and eventually received a humanitarian visa to settle in Canada.
“One day, we were in London. The next, we were in Vancouver, unable to know if we would ever go back,” he said. “Canada became our refuge, and through it all, my mother instilled in us the values that shaped who we are: respect for others, compassion, a commitment to hard work, and a deep belief in the power of education.”
Ismaili, like many Eastern CT students, is a first-generation college student.
“And like many of them, my journey has profoundly shaped the person I’ve become,” he said.
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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.
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.
New Canaan faces Cheshire in the 2025 Connecticut high school Class L football state championship on Saturday afternoon.
The game begins at 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.
The game will stream live on the NFHS Network.
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What: Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Class L football championship
Who: New Canaan vs. Cheshire
When: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025
Where: Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut
Time: 4 p.m. EST
Stream: NFHS Network
Tickets: $11,50
Record, MaxPrep state rankings: New Canaan 12-0, No. 1; Cheshire 9-3, No. 11
Here’s more information about the game from the Hartford Courant, via the Tribune News Service:
New Canaan is going for its 16th state title and fourth straight under veteran coach Lou Marinelli and New Canaan outscored its playoff opponents, 85-13. Cheshire’s last finals appearance was 2009, when coach Don Drust was an assistant for the Rams’ team, which beat Staples in overtime to win a Class LL title. Cheshire rallied from a 19-point deficit against Fairfield Ludlowe to win the Class L quarterfinal game and beat Ridgefield 21-0 in the semifinals. QB Aiden Gregorich’s pass to Liam Suomala proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds left in the quarterfinal.
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Have you still seen a lot of mini-liquor bottles, littering the streets in Connecticut?
Members of one environmental group said they still see them, and believe a ban is the best way to solve a multi-tiered problem.
State data shows in the past 12 months, ending September 30, there were more than 93 million mini-liquor bottles sold in our state.
The group supporting local bans says it’s not just the litter, but also the fact mini-liquor bottles are easy to conceal and consume on the job, in the car, or at school.
The group “Connecticut Towns Nixing the Nip” met this week, working on strategies to get a legislative hearing on the issue in the upcoming 2026 session.
Right now, stores collect a 5-cent surcharge for every mini-liquor bottle sold, resulting in about $5 million annually for town and city environmental cleanup efforts.
Town funding from nip sales
Average revenue per year 2021 to 2025.
“Having talked to a number of towns, well a few towns, they like the money, said Tom Metzner, a member of the group. “It’s fairly broad in how it can be used. It’s environmental. It doesn’t have to be used for cleaning up nips. And so the towns have become somewhat silent on the issue of banning nips.”
The group cited Chelsea, Massachusetts, where minis are banned, both litter and alcohol related EMS calls decreased.
The Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut, which devised the “nickel per nip” program, said banning the mini-liquor bottles would be unprecedented.
Instead, it said the environmental group should be challenging municipalities to prove they actually use the money for cleanup.
Legislative leaders suggested several years ago the way to really do this is to have a redemption program for mini liquor bottles, and now, that could be possible.
At least one state with the Clynk bottle collection program has redeemed mini-liquor bottles for cash.
The company just announced a major expansion in our state, but it told us it is not aware of a redemption program for mini-liquor bottles here any time soon.
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