Connecticut

New report aims to address Connecticut's crisis of disconnected youth

Published

1 year ago

October 9, 2024

New report aims to address Connecticut's crisis of disconnected youth

Erica Soares, 24, of Waterbury, shared her story on Wednesday in front of dozens of local and state leaders to help create change.

“At a young age, I faced challenges most people don’t experience in a lifetime; homelessness, sexual assault, the incarceration of a parent, losing a parent,” Soares said.

Soares did not let her circumstances define her. Currently, she is getting her master’s degree and is heavily involved with the Waterbury Police Activity League. In the spring, she met with students and local leaders to help address the crisis of disconnected youth.

“They were just excited that the mayors wanted to sit down and listen to them, they weren’t questioning them or anything like that,” Soares added.

Similar conversations have been ongoing in communities across our state during the last eight months to create a new strategy to help Connecticut’s youngest population.

“How we can reconnect disconnected youth is simply just talking, just filling a part,” said David Mezard, of Stamford.

Mezard overcame his own challenges of being incarcerated. He now advocates for more programs to be in place to help the youth.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, or CCM, released a new report on Wednesday, outlining a 10-year plan to help re-engage youth who are on a path to drop out of school or out of the workforce.

“Really it is a report to residents, and to help empower residents to really think about how we can get our youth back on track,” Stonington First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough said.

According to the 119K commission, organized by CCM, 119,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 26 are at-risk or have already detached from their lives. CCM’s proposed strategy focuses on cutting the crisis in half, getting 60,000 people back on the right path over the course of a decade.

The plan proposes changes to policies in education and calls for more federal funding and incremental state investments of $500 million in public schools.

“There is a really strong return on investment, we are paying for this over the long term, never mind the human value of all of this,” Chesebrough added.

Local leaders plan to utilize the report in the upcoming legislative session to advocate for policy changes and more funding.

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Connecticut

Multiple cars involved in crash on I-84 in Hartford

Published

3 hours ago

March 4, 2026

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Multiple cars involved in crash on I-84 in Hartford

A multi-vehicle crash temporarily close Interstate 84 on Tuesday night.

The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. and involved four cars, according to the Hartford Fire Department.

Fire crews arrived at the scene and helped one of the drivers who was trapped. The driver was then taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.

Four other people reported minor injuries but declined ambulance treatment at the scene, officials said.

I-84 East was temporarily shut down as crews responded but has since reopened.

The Connecticut State Police is investigating the crash.

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Connecticut

Sleet, freezing rain leading to treacherous travel in parts of Connecticut

Published

15 hours ago

March 3, 2026

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Sleet, freezing rain leading to treacherous travel in parts of Connecticut

As the snow turns to sleet and freezing rain in parts of the state this afternoon, it is causing some treacherous travel on Connecticut roads.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is reporting several crashes.

There are crashes on both sides of Interstate 691 in Meriden.

A tractor-trailer jackknifed on the eastbound side of I-691 between Exit 5 and 3, closing the left lane. On the westbound side, a single-vehicle crash closed the left lane.

There is a two-vehicle crash on I-91 North in Middletown between Exits 20 and 21. The left and center lanes are closed.

A multi-vehicle crash has closed lanes of I-84 East in Waterbury between Exits 25 and 25A. There is a second crash on I-84 East in Southington near Exit 30.

In Cromwell, a two-vehicle crash closed the right lane of Route 9 North in Cromwell.

On Route 9 South, a crash closed a lane on the southbound side.

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Connecticut

The Great Westport Sandwich Contest kicks off with event at Old Mill Grocery

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

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The Great Westport Sandwich Contest kicks off with event at Old Mill Grocery

People in Westport have the chance to pick the best thing between sliced bread.

The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce held a kick-off event at Old Mill Grocery on Monday for The Great Westport Sandwich Contest.

The contest runs throughout March with 21 restaurants, delis and markets competing in 10 categories to be crowned the best sandwich maker.

Residents can vote in the following categories: Best chicken, best steak, best vegetarian, best combo, best club, best NY deli, best pressed sandwich, best breakfast sandwich, best wrap, and best fish/seafood sandwich.

After people sample sandwiches, they can vote for their favorites in each category on the chamber’s website. They will also be placed into a drawing to win a free sandwich from one of the 10 winners.

“Of course, the goal is to have people come to Westport and check out restaurants, our markets and our delis. This is a great promotion. I mean it is a competition, but mostly it’s to bring people to the restaurants. It also gives a great community activity because they are the ones who get to vote who makes the best one,” says Matthew Mandell, the chamber’s executive director.

Winners will be announced in April and receive a plaque.

The chamber has held similar contests to determine what establishment has the best pizza, burger, soup and salad.

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