Connecticut
Advocates highlight services available after an overdose spike in Hartford

Kelly Gay of Windsor is in long-term recovery from substance use disorder.
“I was 18 years old, I was using drugs daily, I was homeless, I was in a great deal of trouble,” Gay said.
She knows first-hand the stigma surrounding the disorder.
“There is some idea we have some choice in this, there is some idea that we are morally flawed and that we can control this if we wanted to,” she said.
Gay wants to change the narrative as new data comes out. This week, the Connecticut Department of Public Health released its drug overdose report, showing a 26% decline in overdose deaths across the state in 2024, compared to 2023. During the same time period in Hartford, deaths dropped 33%. Gay said while she is hopeful about the numbers, she is still concerned.
“Every overdose is a family member, a mother, a child, all things that we all have in our lives, and when you lose someone like that it is never the same,” Gay added.
In 24 hours, there were seven overdose hospitalizations in Hartford, according to city health officials.
Gay, along with Root Center for Advanced Recovery Senior Counselor Ray Bishop, wants the public to be educated about what resources are available.
“One death is one too many. I think on a daily basis we do our best to minimize the risk and to cut down on that death rate,” Bishop said.
The Root Center is the largest methadone provider in the state, serving 5,500 people daily across 14 locations. Bishop said the first step in helping a patient is getting them in the door.
“So that individual has to want to change for anything to happen,” Bishop added.
After that, Bishop said it’s about offering a wide range of resources, so the patient knows they are cared for.
“We have treatment, we have mental health services, we have group support, so it’s not just you come and get the medication, but you have supportive people who are empathic to a situation, with folks who can identify,” Bishop added.
On June 23, the Root Center is welcoming patients to its new Hartford clinic on Lafayette Street, and next spring, the center will begin accepting patients at its first residential treatment facility in New Britain.

Connecticut
Elderly woman dead after being hit by car in Norwalk

An elderly woman has died after being hit by a pickup truck in Norwalk Saturday morning, police said.
The police department said the crash happened on Connecticut Avenue around 10:15 a.m.
Responding officers said an 84-year-old woman sustained serious injuries and was taken to the hospital, where she later died.
The woman has been identified as Josephine Pimpinella, according to police.
Police said Pimpinella was struck by a pickup truck while crossing the driveway of 133 Connecticut Ave.
Detectives are conducting an investigation and they ask anyone with information to contact them at 203-854-3035.
You can also leave an anonymous tip on their website or by texting “NORWALKPD” followed by the message to 847411.
Connecticut
These state parks have reached capacity on Saturday

Some state parks have reached capacity and they are closed for the day on Saturday.
These are the parks that are closed after the parking lots reached capacity:
- Millers Pond State Park in Haddam
- Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middletown
- Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield
You can get updates on X here.
Connecticut
State officials urge readiness during hurricane season

Local and state officials are urging residents to plan ahead for disasters as the calendar reaches the peak of hurricane season.
They warned Connecticut has become more vulnerable to severe weather, sometimes sudden, during the summer months, so hurricanes are no longer the only concern.
“If it can happen to us, it can happen anywhere,” Oxford First Selectman George Temple said during a news conference along the banks of Little River.
Oxford was one of multiple towns that were devastated 11 months ago when unexpectedly high rainfall led to historic flooding.
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnel Higgins urged people to take three steps:
“Be prepared,” Higgins said. “You will hear that early, you will hear that often. We will continue to emphasize that.”
DESPP Deputy Commissioner Brenda Bergeron said only 7% of residents in the state have signed up for alerts.
She also said the agency’s training efforts pick up during the summer months, including an increased emphasis on communication.
As the state gets ready for disasters, they’re also worried about help from the federal government.
President Donald Trump has been cutting resources at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and has said he wants to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
FEMA has also drawn criticism for its response to deadly flooding in Texas.
Trump has been reluctant to talk about his plans for FEMA’s future this week.
“FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now they’re busy working,” he said while departing Air Force One earlier this week.
Gov. Ned Lamont said the state could use the Rainy Day Fund to help cities and towns who are waiting for federal disaster relief aid.
Bergeron also said the state has its own meteorologists and coordinators to help plan for disasters.
But both said the state still relies on the federal government for help. Lamont, in particular, said it’s not possible for Connecticut to handle disaster recovery on its own.
“Some of these disasters are in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said. “Look what’s going on. And there, you really do need the federal government as a backstop”
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