Good afternoon — Does Long Island have what it takes to secede from New York and become the 51st state? Republican state Assemblyman Keith Brown certainly thinks so. Today, northern parts of Connecticut are still seeing slippery road conditions from yesterday’s showers. TikTok is at it again as kids in Suffolk County face charges for damaging homeowner fences by running through them as a part of the “Kool-Aid man challenge.” Stay safe out there.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what we are hearing:
The University of Connecticut’s School of Medicine is receiving a $10 million grant to help increase equity in disability-based childhood intervention services. The purpose of the grant, which was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education, is to assist states in identifying and quelling racial, ethnic, and/or linguistic inequality concerning services for young students with developmental delays and disabilities.
Energy supply costs continue to rise as United Illuminating’s distribution net income falls by almost 20%. UI released a statement Tuesday sharing that the combination of “inflation, rising interest rates, supply chain shortages, and cost of labor” have resulted in decreases in distribution and net income. These numbers are foreboding for Connecticut families whose electric bills are at historically high levels, which is why UI highlighted their new January-April assistance program that provides a $40 stipend to enrolled customers in financial hardship.
PSEG Long Island sent a notice to low and moderate-income customers that a previous rebate of $5,500 for heat pump equipment would be slashed to $2,000. This comes as customers have been anxious to make the switch from fossil fuel energy, the cost of which is soaring, to more efficient heat pumps.
Stonington is receiving $900,000 in federal funding to repair their town dock. U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) received the funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and said he hopes the funding to perform needed maintenance will allow for the rejuvenation of local fishing operations where fishermen couldn’t cover costs.
Westville attorney Liam Brennan announced his Democratic candidacy in the New Haven mayoral election on Wednesday. Brennan, whose announcement video highlights his love for a community that “turns out for immigration rights and police accountability,” will run against incumbent Justin Elicker, who is finishing out his second term. Other opponents in the primary include consultant Tom Goldenberg and retired police sergeant Shafiq Abdussabur.
Prospective jurors for Long Island’s Valva murder case were dismissed by the hundreds on Wednesday after stating they could not act impartially on the case and had already formed opinions that would keep them from fairly considering the evidence. The case against 45-year-old Angela Pollina charges her with second-degree murder for the death of 8-year-old Thomas Valva. His father has already been convicted.
U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is co-sponsoring a bill that would make the AR-15 the “national gun of America.” The bill, which was introduced Friday by Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), has not yet arrived at the House of Representatives in its entirety. In a tweet introducing the bill, Moore stated that the new symbol would “send a message that we will meet every attack on any of our constitutional rights.”
The Town of Islip is holding a public meeting after the declaration of its MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma as a Superfund site. A Superfund site is a contaminated site in need of cleanup, according to the EPA. More information regarding the status of the airport will be shared at the meeting, which will include town and state environmental officials. The information session will be hosted at the airport on March 2 at 5:30 p.m.
