Open your car window and take in the sweet smell of hickory-smoked meat along 84 near the 691 interchange in Cheshire/Southington today, or coming down Southington Mountain. Finally, over three years after their second location was announced to the public, Wallingford’s Pig Rig BBQ’s long-awaited second location is opening up to the public today.

I wrote about Pig Rig’s expansion plans way back in December of 2021, at the time it was expected that the new location at 1843 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike in Southington would open sometime in Spring 2022. The new restaurant is located in an old Dunkin’ building on Rt. 322 in between the TA Travel Center (Which I still call 76 Truck Stop), and AMC Southington (Which I still call Apple, Regal, or Starplex).

Pig Rig – Wallingford gets good online reviews, it’s average on Yelp is a 4.4 out of 5, 4.6 out of 5 on TripAdvisor, and a 3.7 out of 5 on Google. Most of the commenters mention the great smoky flavor, and generous portions, a few negative reviews mention the temperature of the meats or sides was too cold, or too expensive. The menu at Pig Rig BBQ features what you would expect from a BBQ restaurant in 2025- a few varieties of Pulled Pork, Baby Back Rib entrees, Brisket, Burnt Ends, BBQ Chicken, Hummel hot dogs, a few sandwiches, and burgers, with traditional sides like cole slaw, Hickory-smoked mac&cheese, cornbread, collard greens, potato salad, and Cowboy beans.

Why was the second location delayed by three years? Look at the restaurant industry in Connecticut, it’s pretty impossible to turn a profit.

The Friendliest Places to Live in Connecticut

In this post-Dobbs era, those dedicated to reproductive freedom face mounting threats to their safety, livelihood, and ability to provide care. Thanks to an ever-shifting legal landscape and an anti-abortion federal administration, providers across the country are not only left to navigate legal chaos, but they are also becoming direct targets of political and personal attacks. 

On March 10 we recognized Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, a day to celebrate the bravery, compassion, and resilience of those who provide abortion care. While recognition is important, it is not enough. If we truly value these essential health care providers, we must fight to protect them.

Here in Connecticut, our legislature is presented with a critical opportunity to take bold, decisive action to safeguard abortion providers and expand access to care.

In anticipation of Roe v. Wade being overturned, Connecticut led the way in 2022, becoming the first state to pass a shield law to protect providers and patients from legal threats posed by anti-abortion extremists in other states. This law ensures that providers in Connecticut can care for out-of-state patients seeking safe, legal abortion services —without fear of prosecution from their patients’ home states.

Today, 19 states have enacted near-total abortion bans, leaving more than 25 million reproductive-age Americans without access to care. In 2023, the total number of patients who traveled to Connecticut for abortion care is estimated at 840, but countless others could not—barred by financial, logistical, or legal obstacles.

For those who cannot travel, medication abortion is a lifeline. It is safe, effective, and accessible, accounting for 63% of all U.S. abortions in 2023. Many patients receive medication abortion via telehealth, making it a crucial alternative for those who face travel barriers.

Yet, Connecticut’s shield law does not explicitly protect telehealth providers—leaving doctors who may want to help out-of-state patients unable to do so.

The solution? H.B. 7135, a bill that would strengthen Connecticut’s shield provisions law to ensure telemedicine abortion providers are protected. This provision is already included in the strongest shield laws nationwide, including those in California, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Colorado, and Maine. Connecticut must follow suit.

Beyond legal protections, Connecticut must also invest in the ecosystem of sexual and reproductive health care. ‘Safety-net providers,’ such as Hartford GYN Center and Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, serve a patient population where the majority rely on Medicaid or are underinsured. These providers are an essential lifeline, ensuring access to care regardless of a patient’s income, insurance status, or background. However, they face unsustainable financial burdens due to insufficient Medicaid reimbursement rates, all while the cost of delivering care continues to rise.

Even though family planning clinics received a Medicaid reimbursement rate increase in the 2023 budget, abortion services were excluded. This means that abortion providers in Connecticut are operating under unsustainable financial conditions—on top of enduring relentless political and legal attacks.

Organizations like The REACH Fund, Connecticut’s only abortion fund, directly support clinics because they trust providers to deliver the best care possible. Connecticut’s state government should do the same by increasing Medicaid reimbursements and fully funding abortion services.

Abortion providers deliver critical, life-saving care —but they can’t do it alone. Here’s how you can support abortion providers in Connecticut:

• Call your legislators. Urge them to support H.B. 7135 and ensure abortion providers have the legal and financial support they need. Reproductive Equity Now can guide you—sign up for updates here.
• Donate. Support abortion clinics, funds, and advocacy organizations that are fighting to expand access.
• Know your local providers. Learn about clinics in your community so you can help others find safe, trusted care.
• Express gratitude. Thank a provider, a front desk staffer, a clinic escort, or a friend who supported someone through their abortion journey.

Remember, abortion care is community care. Be part of that community. Support those who make reproductive freedom possible—today and every day.

Liz Gustafson is Connecticut State Director with Reproductive Equity Now and Cassie Lehr is a Board Member of The REACH Fund of Connecticut.

A 12-year-old student faces a hate crime charge for her alleged involvement in an attack on twin Muslim students at their Connecticut middle school, authorities and advocates said. The physical altercation happened earlier this month at Wallace Middle School in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Through a summons to juvenile court, the accused student was charged with intimidation based on bigotry and bias in the first and second degree, according to the Waterbury Police Department.

Police said in a statement that investigators probing the March 3 incident “determined that the altercation was motivated by religion and/or ethnicity, meeting the definition of a hate crime.” They also said the classification was reviewed and confirmed by the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office.

Another 13-year-old student accused in the altercation was referred to a youth diversionary program instead of being arrested, according to police, “based on her involvement in the incident.” Police said their investigation included interviews with students and staff at the school “who were present or otherwise involved” in the incident.

The students’ names were not released by authorities.

According to the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, the students were targeted for wearing hijabs. CAIR’s chair Farhan Memon spoke out about the incident in an interview with the FOX affiliate station WTIC-TV. CAIR has reposted the interview to its social media platforms and website, alongside information about the alleged assault.

Both sisters suffered injuries in the altercation, which police characterized as minor. They did not require immediate medical treatment at the scene of the attack, according to police, but CAIR said the injuries were “severe enough to require treatment at a hospital.” The organization, which advocates for Muslim civil rights and against Islamophobia in the U.S., called the attack “brutal” in a March 12 post on Facebook.

“The parents of the victims sought CAIR’s assistance because they felt that they were not receiving sufficient communication from the school regarding disciplinary actions against the perpetrators or a clear plan to ensure their daughters’ safety,” the organization said.

The Waterbury Department of Education has now acknowledged the incident as an act of bullying, police said, adding that education officials have “taken disciplinary action, and implemented enhanced school safety measures in response to the incident.”

“While this was not part of a widespread problem, this is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ensure our students are safe and respectful of one another,” said Darren Schwartz, interim superintendent of Waterbury Public Schools, in a statement.

The Waterbury Police Chief said in a separate statement that his department is committed to taking seriously claims of bias-related incidents, adding the investigation into this one “reaffirms our commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive school environment.”

Spokespeople for the police and education departments in Waterbury directed CBS News to their public statements about the altercation in response to a request for comment and more details.