Good morning. Over 170,000 people moved into Connecticut last year.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, most movers were:
- 35,000 New Yorkers
- 11,000 people from Massachusetts
- over 25,000 immigrants
Researchers cite the increase in real estate purchases and the recent trend of people moving out of New York City for suburbs. Most New Yorkers purchased property in Fairfield County.
Nearly 90,000 residents moved out of the state. Still, 2022 marks Connecticut’s largest influx of new residents since 2015.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
The Riverhead Central School District superintendent resigned Tuesday. The Board of Education accepted Augustine Tornatore’s departure without giving a reason. This school year has been challenging with students using racial slurs at a football game and swastikas found drawn on desks. Former Three Village Central School District superintendent Cheryl Pedisich will take up the position on Monday until a permanent leader is selected.
The family of Katherine Colon marched in New Britain demanding accountability for her death. Colon was fatally struck by Officer Connor Reinsch’s vehicle while responding to a burglary call in late September. Reinsch was placed on restricted duty pending an investigation by state police, but Colon’s family was told they won’t get answers for months. The family said they have not heard from Mayor Erin Stewart.
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation to help New Yorkers in manufactured home parks. The three laws will expand the “right of first refusal” for homeowners when park owners consider selling the park, authorize the State Mortgage Agency to purchase mortgages and offer mortgage pool insurance for manufactured housing and change civil penalties for manufactured homes to better align with federal law. Hochul hopes these measures will strengthen vulnerable communities with stable, affordable homes.
Body camera footage shows a Prospect police officer gunning down a man who charged at him with a knife on Friday. This is the third fatal shooting by police officers in Connecticut in less than a week. Officers David Terni and Jonathan Slavin responded to a disturbance call at the home of Michael Strenk. Terni confronted Strenk at a broken window when he threw a knife at the officer. Strenk charged at Tierni when the officer fatally shot him. Mayor Robert Chatfield called the shooting an unfortunate incident.
Riverhead’s Town Board canceled a controversial $40 million contract to sell more than 1,600 acres of industrial park in Calverton. Nearby communities were concerned about an air cargo hub planned for the property, which is known as EPCAL. The town’s Industrial Development Agency decided the developer had failed to provide key information about their ability to finance their plans. Triple Five Worldwide Group, the Canadian parent company, intends to sue the town over its unusual conduct. The developer said it has a right to develop on the property.
New Haven’s vacant Strong Elementary School will be converted into an overnight warming center. The city Board of Education voted to allow Mayor Justin Elicker and contractor Upon This Rock Ministries to convert the school into a 47-bed shelter. It will be open seven days a week from 7 p.m.- 7 a.m. and house homeless residents 18-years-old or older. Officials hope the center will be open no later than December and will remain open till the end of April 2024.
The U.S. Postal Service will honor the first African American woman to serve as a federal judge. The Black Heritage stamps series will include New Haven native Constance Baker Motley, a legal advocate in the civil rights movement, who worked with Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King Jr. She was the first African American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court.
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame will open a Billy Joel exhibit at the Stony Brook-based museum on Nov. 24. Joel was born in New York City but grew up on Long Island. The “Billy Joel – My Life, A Piano Man’s Journey” exhibit will showcase over 50 years worth of rare memorabilia, videos, awards, recordings, instruments, photos, many of which were donated from Joel’s personal collection.
A two-year-old Andean bear is the latest resident of the Connecticut Beardsley Zoo. Nuna moved from the Queens Zoo to join a 20 year-old Andean bear named Cayambe living in Bridgeport. Andean bears are the only bears native to South America and can be found in the Andes Mountains. Deforestation and hunting has left the species vulnerable with around 18,000 Andean bears left in the wild.
The Environmental Protection Agency will provide $4.5 million in funding to support five projects in Connecticut. The funding is a part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to ensure environmentally disadvantaged communities receive access to clean air, water and climate resilience solutions.
- New Haven’s Ecology Project will receive $500,000 to employ high school students in at least 200 paid jobs as city environmental justice problem-solvers.
- New Haven will receive $1 million to fund a community initiative to enroll energy burdened city residents in a program aimed to electrify aging heating systems.
- Bridgeport will receive $1 million to implement Complete Streets and Vision Zero, two projects designed to account for public transportation and eliminate transport related injuries.
- Waterbury will receive $1 million to launch a community engagement pilot program to increase public education and community participation in asbestos-remediation, blight removal, and recycling initiatives.
- The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will receive $1 million to begin a new North Hartford community program to engage with communities overburdened by issues associated with a combined sewer system.If you appreciated this story, please consider making a contribution. Listener support is what makes WSHU’s regional reporting, news from NPR, and classical music possible. Thank you!
