Connecticut
What It's Like To Spend A Night At This Offshore Connecticut Lighthouse
Growing up in coastal New England, I ranked lighthouses on par with sunblock and snowploughs — essential, ordinary, and totally lacking romance (my primary preoccupation). Only later did these storied structures, and their keepers, capture my imagination. What was it like to live at the edge of the world, guiding mariners to safety? To look out the window and see nothing but sea? When I met my partner and fell in love, my fantasy expanded: just the two of us, a cosy bed, and water, water everywhere, lulling us to sleep.
Last July, we were among the first-ever guests to experience an “Overnight at the Light” in the fully restored Greens Ledge Lighthouse, a mile (1.6 km) off the coast of the village of Rowayton, in southwestern Connecticut. For one night, we savoured the storybook beauty and seclusion of a historic landmark, 360-degree views of the water and shoreline, and the modern amenities of a hotel.
This lighthouse in Connecticut is a cosy place to spend the night

But first, lunch. Friends who live in the area urged us to try their favourite spot, the Rowayton Seafood Restaurant & Market, which is perched on the shore of the Five Mile River. The oysters and lobster rolls were so exceptional that we ordered a pair of steak sandwiches to bring to the lighthouse for dinner. Then we ambled down to the dock to meet our host, Tim Pettee, who helped us into his skiff and turned the bow southward.
Pettee is an investment advisor who lives in town. In 2016, when his teenage daughter learned that the federal government was auctioning off their own local icon — Greens Ledge Lighthouse has guided sailors since 1902 — she urged him to place a bid. He offered $150,000 and won. “Then I had to figure out what to do with it!” he said, laughing.
“We brought our steak sandwiches and a cold bottle of Chardonnay out to watch the sunset; afterwards, the darkness felt thick and ancient.”
Listed by the National Register of Historic Places as “deteriorated” — just one rung above “ruins” — the building needed a lot of work. To raise funds, Pettee, his son, and several friends founded a nonprofit, the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society. In 2023, after five years of meticulous restoration, they opened to the public, offering tours, private parties, and overnight stays.
As we neared the lighthouse, I marvelled at the stark beauty of the freshly painted red-and-white tower rising from the sea. Pettee pointed out the patio and two observation decks, each furnished with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs. With two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a fully equipped kitchen, the Connecticut lighthouse can sleep six. (It accommodates non-overnight parties of up to 50.) Docking the boat, Pettee explained how to lower and raise the gangplank and where to find the swim ladder and paddleboards.
Pettee also showed us the solar panels that provide power and the desalination system that makes seawater drinkable. Then he headed back to shore, saying he would fetch us the following morning.
We changed into our swimsuits, dove off the floating dock, and swam around for a while, then rinsed off in the outdoor shower. We brought our steak sandwiches and a cold bottle of Chardonnay out to watch the sunset; afterwards, the darkness felt thick and ancient.
The next day, when Pettee came to retrieve us, I couldn’t decide which I’d preferred: drifting off to sleep to the sound of the waves or waking to the early morning cries of seabirds. Or how, viewed from the bed, the sea and sky through the windows were as perfect and wild as a Mark Rothko painting.
All currency conversions were done at the time of writing
Feature Image Credit: Green Ledge Light Preservation Society
This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com
Lighthouses Through Ages: Still Standing Tall, Still Telling Tales
Written By
Connecticut
Snow Squalls Forecast For CT: Here’s When, As Major Weather Changes Begin
An arctic front is expected to bring snow showers and possible snow squalls to the Northeast today, including part of Connecticut, according to the National Weather Service.
It predicts there is a 20 percent chance of snow squalls north of the I-84 corridor in Connecticut. The risk for snow squalls jumps to around 60 percent for those traveling north today into upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and western Massachusetts.
Snow squalls, or short bursts of heavy snow and gusty winds, can cause dangerous driving conditions due to sudden decreased visibility and slippery roadways.
Find out what’s happening in Across Connecticutfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The National Weather Service cautions residents to be alert for snow squall warnings, and if there is one, slow down or delay travel.
The front is moving through the area from northwest to southeast starting this morning and lingering into the afternoon, the National Weather Service said.
Find out what’s happening in Across Connecticutfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
WFSB predicts the cold front will bring “isolated snow showers” this afternoon, along with wind gusts that could reach over 30 miles per hour.
After the front passes through, colder air will impact Connecticut, with temperatures tonight dipping into the single digits, according to WFSB.
WFSB is calling Friday a “First Alert Weather Day” due to the unseasonably cold temperatures, and WFSB reports it will be the coldest air the state has experienced in nine months. Friday morning temperatures in Connecticut will range from the single digits to the teens, and daytime temperatures will remain below freezing, WFSB reports.
“Arctic air is moving in,” WFSB meteorologists said.
WTNH is also predicting snow squalls today, and a chance of a possible coating of snow early Saturday.
The weekend is expected to be mostly dry in Connecticut, with temperatures reaching into the 30s Saturday and into the upper 30s and low 40s on Sunday, followed by colder temperatures in the beginning of next week, WFSB reports.
Read More:
Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 37. Southwest wind 6 to 16 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 6. Wind chill values as low as -1. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 26. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A slight chance of snow after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: A chance of snow before 10 a.m., then a chance of freezing rain between 10 a.m. and noon, then a slight chance of rain after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. Calm wind.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 37. Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Here are the forecast details for southern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 40. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. Northwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 14. Wind chill values between 5 and 10. Northwest wind 13 to 18 mph decreasing to 7 to 12 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.
Friday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 33. Wind chill values between 5 and 15. North wind around 6 mph becoming calm.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of light snow, mainly after 10 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Calm wind.
Saturday: A slight chance of rain and snow before 10 a.m., then a slight chance of rain between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 41.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
Connecticut
Decomposed body found in Connecticut after standoff with man who opened fire at police
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A decomposed body and several explosives were discovered inside a home following an hours-long standoff with a man who had barricaded himself in the residence and exchanged gunfire with law enforcement in Connecticut, according to authorities.
Stamford Police responded to the Oaklawn Avenue home on Tuesday morning after a state marshal called 911 while attempting to carry out a court order to evict the man.
The man, later identified as 63-year-old Jed Parkington, opened fire at officers several times during the day, damaging police cars and prompting officers to return fire.
No officers were hurt in the exchange of gunfire.
LINGERING QUESTIONS AFTER ARSON RULED OUT IN DEVASTATING FIRE AT JUDGE’S WATERFRONT MANSION
Law enforcement officers respond near a home where a man shot at officers and a decomposed body was later found in Stamford, Connecticut, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)
The man was found dead later in the day from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
Officers were clearing the home after the standoff found a decomposed body on the second floor, Police Chief Timothy Shaw said in a statement. Explosives such as pipe bombs, grenades and Molotov cocktails were also located in the home.
“This was an extremely dangerous incident that tragically resulted in the loss of two lives,” Shaw said.
MASSACHUSETTS MAN ACCUSED OF BEATING PARENTS AND SETTING HOME ON FIRE, LEAVING THEM TO DIE
Officers respond near a home where a man opened fire at officers and a decomposed body was later found in Stamford, Connecticut, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)
The police chief also lauded the efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement officers and firefighters, including hostage negotiators who attempted to talk to the man for several hours.
The Stamford Police bomb squad responded to the home to safely remove the explosives before detectives could begin investigating the remainder of the residence.
Authorities said the identity and cause of death of the decomposed person was still under investigation.
Stamford Police car (Stamford Police)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The state inspector general’s office is investigating the officers’ use of deadly force during the standoff.
A bank had foreclosed on the home and demanded the residents vacate the property in April since the mortgage was not being paid, court records show. A judge ordered the eviction last month after offering the chance for the residents to make mortgage payments.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Connecticut
West Haven officer arrested, accused of using excessive force
A West Haven police officer is on administrative leave and is facing charges after an incident during an arrest in July.
The incident involved Officer Richard Naccarato, and was reported to the police chief by another officer who was at the scene.
“Officers on scene reported to their superiors that the arresting officer may have used out-of-policy force,” Chief Joseph Perno said on Wednesday.
A panel was convened at the West Haven Police Department to review body camera footage from the incident.
The chief placed Naccarato on administrative leave on July 4 pending an internal affairs investigation. He also reported the incident to court officials, who asked state police to investigate.
According to an arrest affidavit for Naccarato, he was one of two officers who responded to JR’s Bar & Grill on Campbell Avenue around 11 p.m. on July 1 for the report of an unwanted person at that location.
When the officers arrived, they found a man sitting on the sidewalk in front of the bar eating food. A bouncer at the bar asked the man to move, but he refused.
When the officers asked the man to move, he told them he wasn’t breaking any laws and he wasn’t going to move.
When Officer Naccarato asked the man to put his hands behind his back as he was attempting to arrest him, the man jumped up and punched Naccarato on the left side of his face, according to the affidavit.
Naccarato and the other officer then took the man to the ground and attempted to handcuff him, but the man resisted.
According to the affidavit, Naccarato can be seen on video punching the man in the head a total of 18 times. At one point, the second officer yelled “no, no, no,” in an effort to intervene.
The man was eventually subdued and arrested.
During the state police investigation, Naccarato told investigators the man was trying to gouge his eye. Photos of Naccarato after the incident show injuries near his eye, according to the warrant.
After completing their investigation, state police determined there was probable cause to charge Naccarato with second-degree assault. He was arrested on Oct. 24.
Chief Perno said paperwork has been sent to the the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council recommending that Naccarato be decertified as an officer. Naccarato has been with the department since June 2021.
-
News2 days agoTrump threatens strikes on any country he claims makes drugs for US
-
Politics2 days agoTrump rips Somali community as federal agents reportedly eye Minnesota enforcement sweep
-
World2 days agoHonduras election council member accuses colleague of ‘intimidation’
-
Technology1 week agoNew scam sends fake Microsoft 365 login pages
-
Politics1 week agoRep. Swalwell’s suit alleges abuse of power, adds to scrutiny of Trump official’s mortgage probes
-
Business1 week agoStruggling Six Flags names new CEO. What does that mean for Knott’s and Magic Mountain?
-
Ohio1 week agoSnow set to surge across Northeast Ohio, threatening Thanksgiving travel
-
News1 week ago2 National Guard members wounded in ‘targeted’ attack in D.C., authorities say

