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Connecticut Budget Brings Positive News for West Hartford Municipal Aid – We-Ha | West Hartford News

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Connecticut Budget Brings Positive News for West Hartford Municipal Aid – We-Ha | West Hartford News


Over the course of the two-year budget, the West Hartford state delegation reports that the state budget will deliver an estimated $7 million more in municipal aid to the town.

By Ronni Newton

Connecticut’s $55.8 billion budget is headed to the desk of Gov. Ned Lamont for signature after being approved by the legislature this week, and included in that budget is additional mutual aid for the Town of West Hartford.

The Senate passed the budget late Tuesday night, in a 25-11 party-line vote with West Hartford state Sen. Derek Slap voting in favor of it. Late Monday, the State House passed the budget, on a mostly-party-line vote, with West Hartford Reps. Jillian Gilchrest, Tammy Exum, Kate Farrar, James Sánchez and Bobby Gibson, all giving their approval to the plan.

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“West Hartford has some of the greatest schools and services in Connecticut, and the new state budget will help ensure that they can be maintained without breaking the bank,” said the delegation in a joint statement. “We regularly hear from residents that they love living in West Hartford, but they’re concerned about affordability. We get it. West Hartford is now set to receive one of the largest increases to special education funding among all the municipalities in the state. The additional investments help students, educators, and of course taxpayers.”

Included in the state’s biennial budget is an overall $40 million per year boost to the fund that reimburses municipalities for excess costs related to special education, with West Hartford expected to receive a share of roughly $1.5 million each year from the state. While the governor’s original budget proposal included greater funding for excess cost reimbursement in FY27, it had kept funding flat for FY26.

The shortfall in excess cost reimbursement from the state has been an issue under discussion between legislators and the governor, and in February the West Hartford delegation pushed for a statewide injection of $40 million into the fund in the current fiscal year to address a significant shortfall that arose due to rising costs, that would have left the town with a large revenue deficit to fill.

The delegation continued to lobby for that extra $40 million to also be provided in FY26, and by the time the West Hartford Town Council adopted its FY26 budget in April, Town Manager Rick Ledwith felt fairly certain it would come through. Ledwith said at the time that if the state did not increase the excess cost reimbursement funding, he would have to return to the Town Council and look to have the town and school district each cut roughly $700,000 from their budgets.

“We’re happy with the excess cost reimbursement money,” Ledwith told We-Ha.com on Wednesday.

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In addition to securing the excess cost reimbursement funding, the state is creating a new Special Education and Expansion Development (SEED) Grant of $30 million, and West Hartford is slated to receive an additional $314,782 in each FY26 and FY27 as its share of that fund, which is intended to promote the development of programming to serve special education students closer to home.

Those funds were not anticipated in the town’s adopted budget.

“I want to thank our delegation for their hard work and advocacy throughout the budget process,” Mayor Shari Cantor said in a statement. “The aid provided to West Hartford will serve our residents well, supporting vital services and helping us invest in the future of our community. I am especially grateful for the state’s commitment to special education funding. These resources will go a long way in supporting our students, families, and teachers, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed.”

The delegation praised their partnership with town leaders. “We are grateful for the leadership of Mayor Cantor, the entire town council, and the board of education,” said the statement from the West Hartford delegation. “Their partnership is critical as we coordinate priorities and deliver much-deserved resources to our special town.”

According to the state delegation, the West Hartford will receive:

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  • $25,567,128 in Education Cost Sharing (ECS), a 1.92% increase from the previous budget
  • $6,691,291 each year in motor vehicle reimbursement rates, an increase of 13.91%. In 2022 legislators passed a cap on the amount that a municipality can levy a motor vehicle tax, and the state provides a reimbursement for a portion of that lost revenue.
  • $921,373 in each year for Town Aid Road (TAR), a 33.33% increase from the previous budget
  • $805,784 in Municipal Grants-in-Aid, no change from the previous budget
  • $677,699 in Local Capital Improvements (LoCIP), no change from the previous budget
  • An additional $400,000 each year from the Supplemental Revenue Sharing Grant
  • $155,785 in Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) in each year of the budget
  • $27,820 in each year from the Mashantucket Pequot & Mohegan Fund Grant, no change from the previous budget

Other provisions in the budget, according to the delegation, include “investment in early childhood education, targeted tax relief and more while remaining under the spending cap and projects state surpluses.” Those provisions include:

  • A $250 tax refund for lower-income working families Earned Income Tax Credit program, which will benefit as many as 195,000 households
  • Up to $300 million into a newly created fund for birth to five early childhood education to  create additional slots, cap costs for families and pay educators more
  • Projected state surpluses and continued investment in the state’s Rainy Day Fund
  • Investing $76 million in nonprofits in the second year of the budget to support worker wages
  • Tax credits supporting refundable personal income tax credits for home daycare owners
  • Fully funding Medicaid, with more than $400 million in increased funding to support the program 900,000 Connecticut residents rely on
  • Investing $7 million in Connecticut Foodshare, helping feed hungry Connecticut families
  • Investing $3 million in heating assistance as federal programs may see funding reductions

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Body recovered after Bloomfield house fire and explosion

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Body recovered after Bloomfield house fire and explosion


A body was recovered after a house explosion resulting in a house fire in the area of Banbury Lane on Monday night.

Fire Marshal Roger Nelson says they recovered a body around 1:15 on Tuesday morning. The identity of the body found will not be released at this time.

When officers arrived around 6:11 p.m. they encountered the house fully in flames, police said.

According to police, the fire department was able to extinguish the fire, but the house sustained devastating damage.

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There are no criminal aspects related to this incident at this time.

The incident was contained to the one house.



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Exclusive | Ex-CBS anchor Josh Elliott back on Connecticut dating scene after ugly Liz Cho split

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Exclusive | Ex-CBS anchor Josh Elliott back on Connecticut dating scene after ugly Liz Cho split


Ex-CBS host Josh Elliott is looking for love eight months after he filed for divorce from “Eyewitness News” anchor Liz Cho.

“Josh is out and about on the dating scene in Fairfield County,” a spy exclusively tells Page Six. “He’s been seen at the bars in the area where middle-aged singles congregate.” 

A second source tells Page Six, “Josh isn’t dating anyone, but he is open to meeting people. His daughter is his priority.”

Page Six can also reveal that Elliott moved out of his and Cho’s estimated $4.2 million Connecticut marital home in January.

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Josh Elliott (pictured above back in July) is “open” to dating eight months after filing for divorce from Liz Cho. FOX Image Collection via Getty Images
The former CBS anchor (seen here in 2016 with his estranged wife) has been on the dating scene in Connecticut. Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix / Shutterstock

In court papers dated Jan. 29 and obtained by Page Six, Cho revealed Elliott moved out of their home and into a new residence without her knowledge.

Cho claimed she was notified by Optimum on Jan. 21, regarding her ex installing internet at his new home.

“The Defendant learned for the first time from said communication that on or about January 15, 2026, the Plaintiff secured an unfurnished rental residence located in Southport, Connecticut,” the filing read.

“It is now clear that the Plaintiff surreptitiously entered a new lease…” the court papers continued.

A rep for Elliott did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

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Elliott moved out of the Connecticut home he shared with Cho earlier this year. Getty Images
The former “Good Morning America” anchor divorced from Cho in June after a decade of marriage. Getty Images

Page Six broke the ousted CBS anchor filed for divorce from Cho after a decade of marriage on June 20, 2025.

“The marriage of the parties has broken down irretrievably,” the court papers read. Elliott asked for a “dissolution of the marriage” and for “an equitable distribution of all property, both real and personal.”

Cho responded to her estranged husband’s complaint on Nov. 6 and filed a cross-complaint against him. She also stated their marriage “has broken down irretrievably.”

The divorce became messy when Cho requested “copies of written correspondence, emails, cards, WeChat messages, Facebook messages, social media messaging, instant messaging, telephonic text messages, transcribed voicemail messages or any written forms of communication” between Elliott and “any person, other than the defendant, with whom [Elliott] have or have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship, from July 11, 2015, to the present.”

Elliott objected the request on the “grounds that the time frame of the request for production is unreasonable, unnecessary, harassing and not likely to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.”

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Cho also requested “monies spent for the benefit of any person with whom you have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship, other than the defendant,” “property given or transferred by you to any person with whom you have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship, other than the defendant,” “monies spent for your benefit by any person with whom you have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship with, other than the defendant.”

The TV personality in addition requested financial records, documentation proving Elliott’s search for employment — as he was ousted from CBS in 2017 — travel invoices, and more. Elliott objected to the requests.

A source close to the couple previously told Page Six, “This is standard in a divorce. Her lawyer is doing a thorough document request. The documents she is requesting are standard.” The insider also insisted there is no evidence Elliott had a relationship with anyone outside the marriage.

As Page Six reported, Cho requested documentation from Elliott, including financial. Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix / Shutterstock
He objected her requests, as their divorce proceedings have turned nasty. Cindy Ord

Also in the Jan. 29 court filing, Cho filed a motion for contempt against Elliott regarding their jointly owned marital Connecticut mansion.

Cho claimed Elliott arranged for a moving truck to come to the marital residence while she was on vacation with her daughter on Jan. 19.

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Cho claimed Elliott moved a “significant amount of furniture and furnishings from the marital residence,” and their “two Portuguese water dogs,” which she alleged at the time of the filing were not returned.

The court docs continued to allege, “On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, [Cho] realized that she was missing a valuable watch and earrings from her jewelry bag. As [Elliott] is the only other person who had access to the missing watch and jewelry, [Cho] believes [Elliott] is in possession of such personal property.”

She claimed his alleged actions are a “willful violation” of the court’s orders.

The insider alleged Elliott was the one to take care of the dogs and that he took “a small amount of furniture.”

In Elliott’s response to her filing, he objected to her request and claimed her allegations are “false and inflammatory.”

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He claimed in court papers, “[Cho] alleges [Elliott] ‘ransacked’ and ‘abandoned’ the marital residence — claims that are patently false and intended to annoy, harass and intimidate [Elliott].

“[Elliott] did not ransack the marital home. He did not damage the property. He did not render the residence uninhabitable. He removed limited personal property and furnishings so he would have a safe haven from [Cho’s] escalating and erratic behavior direct at not only [Elliott], but his minor child as well.”

Cho accused Elliott (seen in 2019) of taking their two dogs. Getty Images
She also accused him of taking her earrings — claims he denied in court papers. GC Images

In a separate filing, he continued to defend his actions by alleging, “[Elliott] removed only limited furniture items and furnishings, many from the basement, solely to furnish a new residence after removing himself and his child from a hostile environment created by [Cho]. All property remains intact and subject to equitable distribution.”

In regard to the jewelry claim, Elliott said, “Perhaps most egregious is [Cho’s] baseless accusation that [Elliott] stole her jewelry. This allegation is made without evidence, without corroboration and without even a good-faith attempt to verify the truth.”

He then accused her of “monitoring and listening to [Elliott’s] private phone calls; rifling through [Elliott’s] personal belongings and closet; leaving the marital residence for extended periods without communication despite the presence of two dogs requiring daily care” and more claims.

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He is requesting that the court deny her motion for contempt and they are due in court on March 20.

Lawyers for Cho and Elliott did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment regarding the divorce.

Elliott accused his estranged wife of escalating and erratic behavior. Lawyers for Cho did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment. Jamie McCarthy
Elliott is in talks to return to television to join Gayle King and Nate Burleson on “CBS Mornings.” Brian Ach

Elliott, 54, and Cho, 55, met while working for ABC and got married in July 2015.

This was the second marriage for both, as they each share a daughter from their previous relationships.

Cho has been with ABC on “Eyewitness News” since 2003, while Elliott was with ABC’s “Good Morning America” from 2011 to 2014.

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After a brief stint with NBC, he joined CBSN as lead daytime anchor in March 2016. Nearly a year later, he was let go from the company.

Elliott has been out of the spotlight in recent years, but is now in talks to join Gayle King and Nate Burleson on “CBS Mornings,” Awful Announcing reported.



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Man charged with murder in Hartford

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Man charged with murder in Hartford


A man was charged with murder and interfering with police on Sunday night.

According to police, officers were dispatched to an apartment on Washington Street for a wellness check of a woman who was reportedly unconscious and not breathing.

When officers arrived, they made contact with a man in the apartment who refused to cooperate and would not allow officers access. They then had to force entry into the apartment where they located the victim suffering from severe head trauma as well as the aggressive male, police said.

The man was secured and transported to the Hartford Police Detention Facility and is being held on a million-dollar bond.

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The victim was revealed to be 76-year-old Linda Anthony and was pronounced deceased on scene.

The Hartford Police Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.  



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