Connecticut

Hate crimes are on the rise in Connecticut

Published

9 months ago

June 27, 2025

HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – Hate crimes are on the rise in Connecticut.

The year-over-year trend has prompted law officials to have community conversations about what a hate crime is and how you can stop them.

Marginalized groups have been targeted more—not only in our state, but across the country.

However, just because hate is present does not necessarily mean a crime has been committed.

It is still serious, but law enforcement is helping you know the difference.

“Hate crimes have increased year over year since 2021 in CT. That is a concerning trend,” said Ronnel Higgins, CT Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Commissioner.

130 hate crimes were reported to the Connecticut Hate Crimes Investigative Unit just last year.

Police believe one of the reasons the numbers have skyrocketed is due to people becoming more comfortable reporting incidents.

“It identifies trends of hate bias and deploys resources to prevent future offenders,” Higgins said.

Earlier this year in March, A 12-year-old Waterbury girl was arrested and charged with a hate crime for allegedly attacking two Muslim classmates.

In April, two men were arrested for assaulting a man of Indian descent in Southington.

The HCLU describes the crime as hate being the motivation against a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or gender.

Ari Weisenfeld talks about the fears in his Jewish community.

“Many members of the community are living in a state of fear, apprehension, and nervousness. Obviously, the world is in a state of being a crazy place, and it’s not gotten any less crazy recently,” he said.

Wendy Tyson-Wood of the Greater Waterbury NAACP says it’s important to know what the crime is and how to respond.

“It made it crystal clear, in terms of, it is a criminal act, in addition to the motivation of that act. So, we don’t have to jump the gun,” Tyson Wood said.

While not all hate qualifies as a crime, officials say it is still wrong. Derogatory language or images can cause for legal action.

Commissioner Ronnel Higgins says becoming active with the youth to help build a better future is essential.

“There’s a lot of concern about where hate is coming from. There’s a lot of questions about our youth and how they’re interacting with one another. So we’re starting to work with education partners,” Higgins said.

Officials say that just because an act may not qualify as a hate crime, it is still serious, and it’s important to notify local law enforcement.

This will help them track these incidents with better accuracy.

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Connecticut

AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Getting New Toro Tubo

Published

16 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Getting New Toro Tubo

There’s already an AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Toro; it measures 6 1/4 x 52. In a month, there will also be a 6 x 52 toro.

It’s not simply a quarter-inch of difference in length. The new Tubo is a round cigar while the original Toro is box-pressed. Also, as the name implies, the Tubo will come individually packaged in tubes. Blend-wise, the two cigars are the same: an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos grown by AGANORSA. The line is made at the company’s factory in Nicaragua.

The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Tubo has an MSRP of $19.99 and comes in boxes of 10 cigars.

“The Aniversario Connecticut Tubo offers a perfect combination of elegance, convenience, and flavor,” said Terence Reilly, vp of sales & marketing for AGANORSA Leaf, in a press release. “It’s an ideal cigar for both longtime fans of the brand and smokers discovering Aganorsa for the first time.”

AGANORSA Leaf will show off the Aniversario Connecticut Tubo to retailers during the 2026 PCA Convention & Trade Show, which takes place April 18-20 in New Orleans. The company says it will ship the cigar to stores in late April.

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. Previously, I started TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors blogs of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry since 2010, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. Beyond writing, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff from weighing cigars to coordinating the tech. Outside of work, I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.

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Connecticut

Teen injured after being shot in Hartford Monday morning

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Teen injured after being shot in Hartford Monday morning

A teen is suffering non-life-threatening injuries from a gunshot wound after a shooting in Hartford on Monday morning, police said.

Hartford Police Lt. Aaron Boisvert said officers were dispatched to the area of East Street around 6:45 a.m. When they arrived, they found a 14-year-old victim with a gunshot wound. The victim is being treated at a local hospital.

“It is not believed that the incident occurred on East Street,” Boisvert wrote in a press release.

Police do not know where the shooting occurred, according to Boisvert.

The Hartford Police Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions are investigating the incident.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information regarding the case is asked to call the Hartford Police tip line at 860-722-TIPS (8477).

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Connecticut

Two in the hospital after Hartford crash early Sunday morning

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Two in the hospital after Hartford crash early Sunday morning

Two people are hospitalized following a crash early Sunday morning in Hartford.

According to officials, officers responded to 587 Blue Hills Avenue around midnight for reports of an accident with serious injuries.

They say firefighters arrived on scene to a 2-car crash with a white Lexus rolled over with ejection of the driver.

Officials say the victim was conscious on the ground and received quick trauma assessment before being transported to Saint Francis Hospital.

The driver is in stable but critical conditions, police say.

The operator of the white Toyota sustained minor injuries and was also transported to Saint Francis Hospital for further evaluation.

Officials say that the driver of the Lexus was driving southbound and tried to pass the Toyota when the car spun out, hit several fences and two parked cars.

The investigation is still ongoing.

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