Connecticut
Connecticut launches program connecting local content creators with businesses
(WFSB) – The state has launched the Connecticut Content Creator Collaborative, a new initiative designed to help local businesses connect with social media influencers and content creators.
The program, known as C4, features a website where more than a dozen creators have already signed up, listing their specialties and making it easier for brands to find people to work with.
Alex P. Taylor, a full-time content creator who focuses on food reviews, said the initiative represents progress in how content creation is perceived as legitimate work.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction and I think the tide is turning of people’s perception on what a content creator is,” Taylor said.
Taylor makes his living by visiting local restaurants and businesses, creating content for his thousands of followers across platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Business owners hire him to showcase their products and services to his audience.
“This is how I pay my bills,” Taylor said. “I was taking pictures of food before people were probably taking pictures of food.”
Jenna Damico, owner of Sweets by Jenna, said content creators represent a new wave of marketing that feels more authentic to consumers.
“It’s real people and they’re real opinion of what you have so I think people are more opt to trust influencers than an ad that they hear,” Damico said.
Damico said she regularly hears customers mention seeing her business featured by content creators on social media platforms.
The state initiative addresses a common challenge in the industry, connecting local businesses with appropriate content creators.
The C4 platform aims to streamline this process by providing a centralized directory of available creators and their areas of expertise.
The recognition from the state signals a shift in how content creation and influencer marketing are viewed in the business world, according to participants in the program.
Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (WFSB) – People like Dena Pizzoferrato are changing what they put in their grocery carts after hearing about a cyclosporiasis outbreak.
“I’m kind of a little nervous so I’m looking to see what I buy right now,” Pizzoferrato said. “Today I didn’t buy any lettuce. I said I’m OK for now.”
Doctors say the illness is spread through parasites that make their way onto fresh produce. There have been 23 reported cases in Connecticut since May, but the CDC says the number is likely higher. Across the country, more than 840 cases and 86 hospitalizations have been reported in 31 states.
Symptoms include diarrhea and nausea that can last days to weeks. Doctors have not identified a source for the outbreak.
Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare, said a range of produce could be contaminated.
“Typical things you would think are vegetables or fruits. In the past, it’s been raspberries, basil, cilantro. You may find it in lettuces, bagged salads. So it’s a variety of things that can be contaminated, but they have not found it at this time,” said Wu.
Wu said residents should take precautions with their produce. “Take precautions with your fruit and your produce. We give the same advice when people go overseas that you should always peel something. You should always boil something,” he said.
Doctors also recommend washing produce thoroughly if boiling is not an option, and washing hands regularly.
Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.
Chip Rubenstein, owner of Chip’s Auto Sales of Milford, says he’s honored to celebrate the dealership’s 50th anniversary alongside America’s 250th birthday.
“I opened Chip’s Auto Sales in 1976, during a chaotic time for our nation in the world,” said Rubenstein, “50 years later, I am so proud of the legacy I’ve created as somebody who always tried his best to do right, and to serve my community proudly.”
Intense flames engulfed a car early Saturday morning in Trumbull.
Officials say it happened around 3:30 a.m. on Richfield Drive near the Bridgeport town line.
Trumbull and Bridgeport fire crews worked to put out the flames.
It was not immediately known how the fire started or if there were any injuries.
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