Good morning. A former Cos Cob Schools administrator has cleared another hurdle in a discriminatory hiring investigation.
Connecticut's Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities found that a viral video of Jeremy Boland made unsubstantiated claims that Greenwich Public Schools doesn’t hire people over age 30, Catholics and conservatives. The video was posted by Project Veritas in August 2022. The state Attorney General and the town's independent investigation also found no evidence of discriminatory practices.
The state Department of Education is still investigating.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we’re hearing:
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its initial report into last month’s fatal bus rollover on Interstate 84 in Wawayanda in Orange County. The report does not cite a cause of the crash, which killed two adults. The report says the bus carrying 40 Farmingdale High School students and four adults to a band camp in Pennsylvania veered off the road, struck and penetrated a roadside cable barrier, and fell down a ravine. Several occupants, including the driver, suffered serious injuries and were ejected. The federal agency intends to issue safety recommendations to prevent similar incidents.
Officials approved funding to repair and renovate the Stamford Government Center. The city Board of Finance allocated more than $800,000 to update parts of the center, including the parking garage. A recent assessment found decaying concrete within the garage, causing safety hazards that require large-scale repairs. The plans also include upgrades to pedestrian walkways to comply with standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The work will be paid for using funds from another capital project, the Stamford Urban Transitway Project.
New York City and Long Island voters are doing away with the two major political parties to register as independents. An analysis of voters by AARP New York shows the number of independent voters grew by 14.4% between the last presidential election in November 2020 and May 2023. The trend was solidified for voters 50 and over, who dominate election turnout compared to voters under 50.
A lawsuit seeks to challenge the legality of New York’s ban on gas stoves. A group of businesses, trade associations, and labor unions have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the legality of gas stoves in residential buildings that were part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s green energy initiative. The lawsuit cites the decades-old Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which prevents state and local regulations on energy consumption by appliances. The court’s decision could have implications for national energy policy and bring local gas bans across the country into question.
According to a Newsday analysis, traffic fatalities on Long Island have risen to the highest levels since 2015. Last year, vehicular crashes killed 243 people, 29% more than in 2019. Law enforcement blames speeding, distracted driving, and failure to stop at red lights. Police plan to intensify enforcement efforts to prevent those behaviors.
Two MS-13 gang members face life in prison. Carlos Humberto Aquino-Hernandez, 22, and Gerson Hernandez, 22, were named in an 11-count charge in the killing of an 11-year-old at a McDonald’s located in Hempstead. Both men are charged with murder and financing criminal operations for MS-13. Both men will face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.
Sayville High School boy's soccer season is canceled due to hazing. The season was cut short after recent reports of violence and humiliation toward younger players on the team. Superintendent Marc Ferris told parents that this decision has been made to show students and community members that these situations will be dealt with moving forward.
A Bridgeport Republican mayoral candidate is stuck in Israel after visiting family for a Jewish holiday. David Herz cannot return to the U.S. after attacks by Hamas militants. Herz told Hearst Connecticut Media his family is not in danger and has been relocated to the northeastern part of the country, 100 miles away from the fighting. He is now scheduled to return to Bridgeport on Tuesday.
