Connecticut
Connecticut Sun hire reigning French champ as new head coach
The Connecticut Sun announced on Wednesday the hiring of Rachid Meziane as the franchise’s new head coach.
The 44-year-old French coach spent the last six seasons as the head coach of Villeneuve-d’Ascq, leading the team to a championship this past season in France’s top women’s basketball league. Meziane also served as the head coach of the Belgian women’s national team, leading the squad to a gold medal in the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023.
A woman was arrested and charged with murdering a man whose body was found behind a condominium complex in Farmington in March, police said on Friday.
Cynthia Martinez, 27, was charged with murder, unlawful discharge of a firearm, tampering with evidence, and criminal use of a firearm in connection with the death of 29-year-old Derick William Mercado-Labonte of Bridgeport.
On March 19, officers responded to Talcott Forest Road around 10 a.m. for the report of an untimely death.
They found the body of Mercado-Labonte along the wood line behind a condominium complex. He appeared to have sustained multiple areas of trauma, according to police.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Mercado-Labonte’s death a homicide.
Martinez is being held on a $3,000,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Torrington Superior Court on Friday.
Police said no further information will be released at this time, as this remains an active and ongoing investigation.
New data is shedding light on the state of Connecticut’s economy and labor force.
On this episode of the CBIA BizCast, CBIA Foundation director Dustin Nord joins host Amanda Marlow to talk about new Connecticut Department of Labor data that highlights the mismatch between increased job openings and a shrinking labor force.
Connecticut job openings jumped 2.6% in May to 87,356—however, since May 2025, 37,700 people have left Connecticut’s labor force.
Nord breaks down some of the reasons for this mismatch and what needs to be done to address Connecticut’s economic challenges.
He also shares insights into a U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report showing Connecticut’s economy expanded 1.8% in the first quarter of 2026.
Episode Highlights:
- Job Openings vs. Workforce Shortage
- Unemployment Trends
- GDP Growth Amid Labor Challenges
- Affordability and Long-Term Competitiveness
Headlines You May Have Missed:
The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate the podcast and leave us a review—we appreciate your support! And be sure to give us your feedback and share guests you’d like to hear.
-
Arizona2 minutes agoRoller derby still has a home in Arizona despite myriad obstacles
-
Arkansas9 minutes agoFreshman OL Tucker Young never wavered through Arkansas football coaching changes | Whole Hog Sports
-
California11 minutes agoNorthern California high school graduation shooting suspect arrested in Texas
-
Colorado17 minutes agoColorado to weigh daily hunting limits, ban on fur sales for wildlife hunted for fur
-
Connecticut24 minutes agoWoman arrested, accused of murdering man in Farmington in March
-
Delaware27 minutes agoRehab center, denied in Montchanin, buys Fort DuPont site | Exclusive
-
Florida32 minutes agoSnake hunters gather in Florida to kill invasive pythons for $25,000 in prizes
-
Georgia39 minutes ago“Operation Southern Slow Down” returns to target speeding drivers across Georgia and Florida
