Connecticut
Avon's History Podcast Looks At 1955 Flood Disaster
AVON, CT — The topic of the “Avon Talks” history podcast takes a look at one of the worst weather events in Connecticut history, the great flood of 1955.
Avon Talks is a monthly podcast about Avon’s history, landmarks, and current events from the Avon Historical Society and Town of Avon.
It is hosted by Ethan Guo, an Avon Resident and current undergraduate at Tufts University.
In August 1955, Connecticut was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in the state’s history.
Over one week, two hurricanes — Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane — collectively dropped more than 2 feet of water and raised the Farmington River by over 18 inches.
These two storms, and the subsequent Flood of 1955 that resulted, ended up causing more than $680 million worth of damage across the Eastern Seaboard, with $350 million of that in Connecticut alone.
In response to these damages, then-Gov. Abraham Ribicoff declared a state of emergency, requested federal assistance from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and activated the state’s National Guard.
By the end of the Flood of 1955, 87 Connecticut residents had died, 668 dwellings were destroyed, and more than 200 dams suffered partial or total failure.
Avon, located adjacent to the Farmington River, was not able to escape the impact of the hurricane, suffering extreme damage to its public infrastructure, farms, and houses.
For this episode, the podcast is joined by Janet Carville of The Pickin Patch Farm who, being a lifelong resident of Avon, was able to experience the Flood of 1955 first-hand.
“Avon Talks: is available on: Spotify; Apple Podcasts; YouTube Music; Podcast Index; and
Amazon Music. Find more Avon Talks info at https://avontalks.buzzsprout.com
Those with questions, comments and/or concerns can reach out to avontalksahs@gmail.com.
For more information on the Avon Historical Society, visit www.avonhistoricalsociety.org.
Connecticut
Tracking showers for Saturday afternoon and evening
A cold front will approach the state this afternoon and evening bringing a round of showers.
There will likely be embedded downpours as the front moves through, but the showers are expected to only last a couple of hours. By mid-evening, clouds will begin to clear and the showers will shift east. High temperatures are expected to be in the 70s.
Sunshine is expected to return on Sunday with highs close to 70 degrees.
Connecticut
Legalized sports gambling's impact in Connecticut
A new study indicates the ease of access to sports gambling is harming the financial health of some consumers, including here in Connecticut.
Legalized sports gambling was introduced after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018, and debuted here three years ago.
The data shows participants were more likely to file for bankruptcy, and had higher amounts of outstanding debt – something researchers consider “statistically significant.”
To learn more about the impact of legalized sports gambling, watch our video above.
Read the study here:
Connecticut
Connecticut advocates push to raise awareness of gun storage safety
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Two days after the deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, Connecticut, gun violence prevention advocates gathered at New Haven Public Schools to raise awareness on the importance of securing firearms.
This latest school shooting is all too familiar for Abby Clements, a Sandy Hook survivor and executive director and co-founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence.
“The depth of grief that I have for the families, the teachers, the students, and the whole community that’s been impacted, I know, I know what it’s like, and I also know that this is day one for them,” Clements said. “This is the beginning.”
Georgia authorities said the 14-year-old suspected gunman had access to an AR15-style rifle in his home and that his father “allowed him to possess the weapon.”
Teen charged in Georgia school shooting and his father to stay in custody after hearings
Connecticut has a no-exceptions gun storage law, which means homeowners must securely store all firearms in their homes. New provisions also require primary care providers to offer gun safety information to patients beginning next year.
“Why would you allow a lethal weapon open and – especially for a child who could be going through some things? But the thing is – all kids go through things, and that’s part of life,” Clements said.
The group is pushing for other states like Georgia to strengthen their gun storage laws to prevent another school shooting potentially.
“Students can’t learn, and teachers can’t teach if they aren’t safe and don’t feel safe in our schools,” New Haven Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Madeline Negrón said.
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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
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