Good morning. Air pollution from buildings is keeping Connecticut from meeting federal standards and harming thousands of residents, according to a report last month from a coalition of environmental advocates.
- According to a report, approximately 3.6 million residents breathe hazardous air, especially among low-income communities.
- Burning fuel through air conditioning and heating equipment generates 23% of the state’s total nitrogen oxide pollution.
- Home heating equipment produces eight times more pollution than all of the state's power plants combined.
- The equipment is likely to blame for an estimated 116 premature deaths in Connecticut in 2017, according to public health researchers at Harvard University.
The environmental groups recommend people shift to electric heat pumps to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Most households in Connecticut could also potentially save up to 35% on their utility bills if they upgrade to an electric heat pump.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
The Wantagh and Wyandanch school districts have sued New York to keep their team name, the Warriors. The lawsuit is in response to a statewide ban of schools using Native American mascots, names and imagery. Both schools plan to change their mascots and logos, but want to retain their decades-old name. Schools have until the end of the 2025 school year to remove Indigenous imagery or they may risk losing state aid and the removal of school officers.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is investigating the death of a Nassau County resident. Cesar Flores was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance when he had a medical emergency. Flores was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead on Saturday. Police have not released details of Flores' medical emergency or a cause of death.
Lindenhurst Village officials skipped a year of sexual harassment prevention. According to an audit conducted by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, none of the village’s 240 total employees and six elected officials were provided proper training during the 2021 annual training period. Village officials said the lack of training was due to the village struggling to handle tasks during the pandemic, and senior employees having computer challenges. State labor officials will determine if Lindenhurst will receive a penalty for the lack of training.
An 18-year-old woman has sued Trinity Baptist Church in Fairfield for failing to prevent a church employee from sexually assaulting her. Joseph Thomas is accused of assaults between 2015 and 2020 while under the supervision of the church pastor. Thomas was arrested in 2014 for second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a child. The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages.
A federal judge ruled that a 2022 lawsuit against the supermarket chain Stew Leonard’s can move forward, possibly into trial. Former employee Robert Crosby Jr. sued the Norwalk-based chain for a COVID-19 disability discrimination claim. The judge dismissed a claim that CEO Stew Leonard Jr. allegedly used racial and gender slurs when dealing with employees.
A new Connecticut law took effect on Sunday, declaring homelessness a public health crisis. The law changed the state’s homeless person's Bill of Rights to allow people experiencing housing insecurity to move freely in public spaces without harassment from law enforcement, have equal opportunities for employment and receive equal treatment by state and municipal agencies, among other rights. According to an annual count of the unhoused population, there were almost 3,000 homeless people living in the state last year.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has delayed submission of his 2024 budget for a third time. Bellone cited lingering effects from the September 2022 ransomware attack on the county government for the budget's delay. He has until this Friday, Oct. 6 to meet the 2024 budget submission deadline. The County Legislature is expected to vote on the budget on Wednesday, Nov. 8. This is Bellone’s final budget, after being term-limited.
A second lawsuit has been filed in connection to the Farmingdale High School bus crash. Families of the students are suing the bus company, companies that inspected the bus and companies that may have made or sold products that could be implicated in the crash in two lawsuits. All of the students sent to Orange and Westchester County hospitals from last month’s crash have been discharged. It’s unclear how many more students or chaperones remain hospitalized in facilities across New York. Two educators were killed in the crash.
Governor Ned Lamont announced Connecticut will release $24.5 million in state grants to over 60 small towns. The grants will be provided through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program and will be used to fund a variety of infrastructure improvement projects including road safety reconstruction, sewer and drainage upgrades, pedestrian safety enhancements and recreational facility upgrades. Nine Fairfield County towns were awarded funding, and eight New Haven County towns will receive grants.
