Connecticut

Norwich Big Lots store among nine closing in CT: What customers had to say about it

Published

2 years ago

August 7, 2024

Norwich Big Lots store among nine closing in CT: What customers had to say about it

When the Norwich Big Lots closes, local shoppers will have to rethink their plans.

The discount retailer recently announced the closure 293 stores across the country. The Norwich one is one of nine closing in Connecticut. The company cited declining sales as the reason for the closure, according to USA Today.

There will be seven locations remaining in Connecticut, with the locations at 940 Silver Lane in East Hartford and 820 Washington St. in Middletown being the closest to the Norwich area. Out of state, the closest remaining locations are 116 E. Main St., Webster, Massachusetts, and 217 S. Main St., Warwick, Rhode Island.

Plenty of regular customers were at the Norwich Big Lots Tuesday afternoon to get their shopping done. While the store still had plenty of items in stock, from everyday goods to fall and Halloween decorations, store signs reminded customers that all sales are final, and that the store wouldn’t take checks.

The staff are kind

Killingly resident Gail Erskine heard about the closing a couple weeks ago. Patty Erskine, Gail Erskine’s sister, said they’ve been shopping at the Norwich Big Lots for a couple years,” whenever we come down to Norwich.” The store has good deals on plenty of things, including the drinks Gail Erskine likes.

“The staff in there are sweet,” Patty Erskine said, “I feel bad for them closing.”

Gail Erskine hopes another good store can fill the void left in the Norwichtown Commons, and that the employees can find jobs, “especially in this economy.”

“I’d be a little depressed at first with losing a job, but my fingers are crossed that they can find a job,” she said.

Bob’s Stores closing all locations in Connecticut, begins clearance sale. What to know

“Can they reconsider?”

Salem resident Jessi Crisman visits the Big Lots weekly because of a good variety with good prices. Crisman and her mother Sunny Crisman are both upset about the Norwich store closing, as “it’s a one-stop shop,” Crisman said.

Online shopping services, including Amazon and Temu, are hurting retail, Sunny Crisman said.

“Everything’s closing, between the banks and the grocery stores; look at Crystal Mall for goodness sake,” she said.

Crisman made the most of the store closing sale, as she loaded her car with plenty of things, including a large pink pillow.

“We just spent a lot of money; can they reconsider when they cash out tonight?” Sunny Crisman said.

Family shopping trip

Voluntown resident Erica Tefft went shopping with her four children on Tuesday. She visits the store a few times a month. While Tefft likes her gardening supplies, it’s a pastime for the family to “find what we find” at the store.

“I’m sad that its closing,” she said. “I didn’t even know until we just pulled in.”

The closest thing to Big Lots Tefft could think of in the area is the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet in Waterford.

“That store is pretty fun too,” she said.

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Connecticut

Opinion: A lifeline in CT’s childcare desert

Published

55 minutes ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Opinion: A lifeline in CT’s childcare desert

by Michelle Gagliardi, CT Mirror
July 8, 2026

As Connecticut grapples with a persistent childcare crisis, parents are facing a perfect storm: years-long waitlists, skyrocketing tuition at corporate centers, and the grueling logistics of balancing a 9-to-5 with a rigid pickup schedule.

But while the public debate often centers on expanding massive commercial childcare centers, a quiet, deeply rooted alternative is keeping Connecticut’s working families afloat. It is called family childcare —licensed, professional early childhood care operated out of a provider’s home.

Far from a fallback plan, family childcare is increasingly the gold standard for parents seeking a blend of high-quality early education, financial sanity, and emotional peace of mind. For families navigating the Nutmeg State’s early childhood landscape, here is why choosing a home-based provider is a powerful, beneficial choice.

A true “home away from home” environment

For infants and young toddlers, the transition from a parent’s arms to a bustling commercial facility can be jarring. Large centers often feature bright fluorescent lights, high-density classrooms, and a rotating cast of staff members.

Family childcare offers the exact opposite: a cozy, familiar home environment. Children learn, play, and nap in spaces that feel like an extension of their own living rooms. This familiar setting significantly lowers stress levels for young children, helping them feel secure enough to explore, socialise, and learn.

Consistency of care (no staff turnover)

One of the most disruptive aspects of modern commercial childcare is staff turnover. Because of industry-wide low wages, center teachers frequently move on, meaning a child might have three or four different primary caregivers in a single year.

In a family childcare setting, the business owner is the teacher. Your child builds a deep, secure attachment to one consistent educator from infancy until they drop their backpacks off for kindergarten. This continuity of care is crucial for healthy emotional and neurological development in a child’s first 1,000 days.

Mixed-age groupings mirror real life

Unlike traditional centers that rigidly separate children by age into 12-month increments, family childcare homes naturally feature mixed-age groups. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers interact throughout the day.

This model offers profound developmental benefits:

For younger children: They learn language, social skills, and behavioral cues rapidly by watching and mimicking older peers.
For older children: They develop empathy, patience, and leadership skills by helping and looking out for the littler ones.
For siblings: Brothers and sisters can stay together in the same program, rather than being split up into different wings of a building.

Unmatched flexibility for working class families

Connecticut’s economy doesn’t just run on a traditional 9-to-5 schedule. Shift workers, healthcare professionals, first responders, and service industry employees are routinely left behind by corporate childcare centers that charge massive penalties if a parent is five minutes past a 5:30 p.m. closing time.

Home-based providers understand the realities of working families. Because they operate independently, many offer more flexible drop-off and pick-up windows, and some accommodate non-traditional hours or part-time schedules that commercial centers reject.

Financial sanity in a high-cost state

Let’s talk numbers. Connecticut routinely ranks among the top ten most expensive states for childcare in the nation, with center-based infant care averaging well over $18,000 a year.

Family childcare providers offer a much-needed financial breathing room. Because their overhead costs are lower —utilizing their own homes rather than renting commercial real estate— they are able to pass those savings on to parents. On average, family childcare in Connecticut costs 20% to 35% less than center-based care, without sacrificing licensing rigor, safety standards, or educational quality.

The state standard: Licensed family childcare providers in Connecticut are strictly regulated by the Office of Early Childhood (OEC). They undergo background checks, regular home safety inspections, and must meet the exact same core health, safety, and CPR training requirements as large-scale centers.

Elevating the profession

For too long, outdated stereotypes dismissed home-based providers as “babysitters.” Today’s family childcare providers are micro-entrepreneurs, early childhood experts, and community anchors. Many hold degrees in early education, participate in Connecticut’s Sparkler developmental screening initiative, and build robust, play-based curriculums tailored to individual children rather than a corporate mandate.

As state lawmakers debate how to build a more resilient care infrastructure, they must recognize that family childcare isn’t just an alternative —it is a cornerstone of the system. For Connecticut parents seeking community, affordability, and a nurturing environment where their child is truly known, the best choice might just be right down the street.

Michelle Gagliardi is leader of the CT Family Child Care Coalition.

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Connecticut

Here’s How Much Rain Fell in Your Town

Published

11 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Press Room

HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – Rain totals across Connecticut from July 5–7 ranged from just over 1 inch in parts of northern and eastern Connecticut to nearly 6 inches in Fairfield County.

All eight Connecticut counties recorded at least 1 inch of rain during the period, with totals as high as 5.91 inches in Danbury and as low as 1.01 inches in Storrs.

Litchfield County

State leaders toured storm damage in Harwinton and Torrington Tuesday morning.

New Milford: 3.33 in.
Woodbury Center: 3.23 in.
South Kent: 1.80 in.
Norfolk: 1.74 in.
Bakersville: 1.66 in.
New Hartford Center: 1.66 in.
Warren: 1.54 in.
Canaan: 1.18 in.
Norfolk (CWOP): 1.15 in.

Hartford County

Road damage closed a portion of Prospect Avenue in West Hartford.

Power restoration was complicated in Bristol due to Monday’s rainfall.

Berlin: 1.93 in.
West Hartford: 1.73 in.
North Granby: 1.69 in.
Bristol: 1.68 in.
Suffield Depot: 1.63 in.
Canton: 1.60 in.
Farmington: 1.59 in.
Southington: 1.58 in.
Plainville: 1.55 in.
Salmon Brook: 1.46 in.
Kensington: 1.45 in.
Windsor Locks: 1.41 in.
Simsbury: 1.39 in.
Bradley Airport: 1.39 in.
Suffield: 1.38 in.
South Glastonbury: 1.38 in.
Hartford (1.8 mi. NW): 1.37 in.
Hartford-Brainard Airport: 1.36 in.
East Granby: 1.31 in.
New Britain: 1.25 in.
Vernon: 1.23 in.
Newington: 1.22 in.
East Granby (1.9 mi. N): 1.19 in.
Rocky Hill: 1.16 in.
Bloomfield: 1.15 in.
Wethersfield: 1.15 in.
West Simsbury: 1.14 in.
Manchester: 1.10 in.
Enfield: 1.05 in.
South Windsor: 1.02 in.

Tolland County

Amston: 1.75 in.
Ellington: 1.68 in.
Somers: 1.39 in.
Hebron: 1.35 in.
Willimantic (3.8 mi. SW): 1.28 in.
Columbia: 1.28 in.
Stafford: 1.23 in.
Tolland: 1.06 in.
Storrs: 1.01 in.

Windham County

Ashford: 1.97 in.
Moosup: 1.95 in.
Baltic: 1.28 in.
Sterling: 1.20 in.
Canterbury: 1.15 in.
Willimantic: 1.13 in.
Danielson: 1.12 in.
South Windham: 1.11 in.
Eastford: 1.07 in.
East Killingly: 1.04 in.

Fairfield County

Danbury: 5.91 in.
Newtown: 5.45 in.
Bethel: 5.36 in.
Ridgefield: 5.11 in.
Redding (1 mi. WNW): 5.07 in.
Brookfield: 4.28 in.
Stratford: 4.25 in.
Trumbull: 4.25 in.
Sandy Hook: 3.89 in.
Shelton: 3.86 in.
Bridgeport Airport: 3.78 in.
Stamford: 3.35 in.
New Canaan: 3.33 in.
Fairfield: 3.17 in.
Weston: 3.14 in.
Westport: 3.05 in.
Darien: 2.70 in.
Norwalk: 2.61 in.
Greenwich: 2.06 in.

New Haven County

West Haven utilized flood gates after the water level on Campbell Avenue reached 3 feet at the storm’s peak Monday.

Milford: 4.78 in.
Branford: 4.69 in.
Orange: 4.36 in.
Guilford: 4.20 in.
Southbury: 4.04 in.
Madison Center: 4.00 in.
New Haven Airport: 3.81 in.
Seymour: 3.63 in.
Ansonia: 3.55 in.
Hamden: 3.47 in.
Outer Island, Branford: 3.38 in.
Oxford: 3.29 in.
Woodbridge: 3.24 in.
Prospect: 3.10 in.
Waterbury Airport: 2.96 in.
Wallingford: 2.91 in.
Yalesville: 2.60 in.
Bethany: 2.44 in.
Meriden Airport: 1.96 in.

Middlesex County

Saybrook Manor: 3.61 in.
Clinton: 3.28 in.
Westbrook: 3.26 in.
Chester Center: 2.41 in.
Durham: 2.40 in.
Higganum: 2.01 in.
Moodus: 1.98 in.
Cromwell: 1.92 in.
Moodus (0.7 mi. SSW): 1.81 in.

New London County

Niantic: 3.63 in.
Old Lyme: 2.81 in.
Waterford: 2.57 in.
New London: 2.57 in.
East Lyme: 2.54 in.
Ledyard: 2.17 in.
Mystic: 2.13 in.
Salem: 2.01 in.
Groton: 2.00 in.
Pawcatuck: 1.95 in.
Oakdale: 1.90 in.
Preston: 1.86 in.
Norwich: 1.85 in.
Stonington: 1.80 in.
Colchester: 1.77 in.
Lyme: 1.67 in.
Griswold: 1.58 in.

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Connecticut

Connecticut Forests Are Healthier, And The Porcupines Have Noticed

Published

21 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Press Room

Connecticut Forests Are Healthier, And The Porcupines Have Noticed

Have you ever seen a porcupine in the wild? I haven’t. Honestly, it never even crossed my mind that they lived anywhere around Connecticut or New York. Apparently, I’ve been missing out. According to I-95 wildlife expert Jen the Zookeeper, your odds of spotting one is actually increasing. She says these prickly little animals are becoming more common throughout our area, meaning you may run into one sooner than you think. Here’s what Jen had to say about the newest furry neighbor making itself at home in our neck of the woods.

Prickly Population Boom: Connecticut’s Newest Neighbors

Move over deer—Connecticut has another backyard celebrity on the rise: the North American porcupine! These slow-moving, tree-climbing rodents have been popping up more often across the state, and they’re impossible to hug… for obvious reasons.

Despite what cartoons might suggest, porcupines can’t shoot their quills. Instead, they rely on a simple strategy: if a predator gets too close, the porcupine turns around and lets nature do the rest. Each quill has tiny barbs that make it surprisingly difficult to remove, making curious coyotes, dogs, and other predators think twice before trying again.

So why are more porcupines showing up? Scientists believe healthier forests, fewer natural predators, and plenty of tasty trees to nibble on have helped their numbers grow. They’re especially fond of bark, leaves, twigs, and even the occasional garden snack—though your favorite landscaping shrub may disagree with their menu choices.

Porcupines are also excellent climbers and spend much of their time in trees, often snoozing through the day and becoming active at night. If you spot one waddling across a trail, give it plenty of space and enjoy the rare chance to observe one of Connecticut’s most unique mammals.

The good news? Porcupines are peaceful, important members of our forest ecosystems. They help shape forest growth through their feeding habits and provide scientists with another reminder that healthy habitats support diverse wildlife.

So, if you notice a prickly visitor wandering through your neighborhood, remember: admire from a distance, keep curious dogs on a leash, and whatever you do… don’t ask for a hug.

More on Jen the Zookeeper

Jen has spent more than 30 years immersed in the fields of animal care, conservation, and science education. As the former Director of Animal Care for the New Canaan Nature Center in Connecticut, she oversaw the care of native mammals, reptiles, and birds of prey while educating the public about the important roles these wild neighbors play in our ecosystem. Her experience also includes time with both the Bronx Zoo and the Los Angeles Zoo, where she focused on the care of African and Asian wildlife and helped teach visitors about the delicate balance between humans and natural habitats.

Later, while working at a wildlife sanctuary in Half Moon Bay, California, Jen played a key role in training and handling nearly 50 exotic species. She also developed educational programs for at-risk and foster youth, helping historically underserved kids build trust, confidence, and healing connections with the non-releasable animals at the sanctuary.

In addition to her extensive wildlife work, Jen has experience in horse and dog training, animal control, veterinary care, and all things conservation education. Today, she owns and operates Jen Kotkin Pet Care, where she provides personalized care, exercise, and enrichment for dogs, cats, horses, birds, and more.

10 of the Best Places in Connecticut to Enjoy a Juicy Hot Dog

The Three Worst Parking Lots For The Nervous Drivers of Southbury

Do you ever dread going someplace because of it’s parking lot? That’s why I avoid any Trader Joe’s in Connecticut. There are three parking lots along Main Street in Southbury where I can’t let my guard down as I drive in.

Look Inside the Largest Indoor Collaborative Artwork in the World

I visited the American Mural Project in Winsted, Connecticut for the first time recently, and for those who haven’t seen it, here’s a quick peek at what to expect when you gaze upon the largest indoor collaborative piece of artwork in the world

Gallery Credit: Photos by Large Dave

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