Good morning. Almost 120,000 Connecticut students between the ages of 14 and 26 are disconnected. They lack high school diplomas, are unemployed or are incarcerated, according to a report from the Connecticut Preschool through 20 and Workforce Information Network (P20).
These teens and young adults are disproportionately African American or Hispanic and male. Forty-percent of Bridgeport high school students are disconnected.
P20 recommends school districts improve data collection processes to better identify and support struggling students. Other strategies include addressing chronic absenteeism in public schools and establishing municipal entities to support disconnected individuals.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sets a special election to replace George Santos. Santos became the sixth member of the House of Representatives to be expelled in U.S. history last Friday after he lied about his past and mishandled campaign funds. His expulsion left a vacant seat in the 3rd congressional district to represent Long Island residents. The special election will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX purchased a Connecticut-based aerospace recovery system developer Pioneer Aerospace for $2.2 million. Pioneer previously produced drogue chutes SpaceX’s Dragon capsules and NASA’s Mars sample-return missions. SpaceX purchased Pioneer after its parent company Aviation Safety Resources filed for bankruptcy in November.
New York will invest $4.6 million in state health programs. The funding will specifically expand access and eliminate disparities in health care. An additional $1.2 million will be allocated to fund a scholarship to support physicians enrolled in Diversity in Medicine Programs. It’s expected to support over 750 students statewide.
A beluga whale is in critical condition at Mystic Aquarium. This is the third whale of five to become sick after they were transported from the Canadian Marineland aquarium. One whale died in 2021 and another died in 2022. Naomi Rose of the Animal Welfare Institute, believes all of the whales had preexisting gastrointestinal issues before the transfer. Rose said their transportation caused immense stress for the animals and argued medical experts should have been sent to Marineland instead.
The Town of East Hampton received a $600,000 state grant to study climate resiliency in downtown Montauk. Climate change has critically impacted Montauk in recent years with rising sea levels, erosion and severe storms threatening coastal stores and residencies. The town’s Natural Resources and Planning Department will use the grant to reduce coastal hazards, climate vulnerability and restore natural resources.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced the formation of the state’s first Registered Apprenticeship Program. The goal of this program is to encourage people to enter high-demand, critical home-based child care jobs. It will require apprentices to complete a minimum of 2,000 hours and hundreds of hours of classroom learning before completion. Around 6,500 people have already registered in the program.
The 2024 Belmont Stakes will be held upstate at Saratoga Race Course. The thoroughbred horse race was previously held at the almost 120-year-old Belmont Park on Long Island but is relocating next year in order to construct an upgraded park. The New York Racing Association will oversee the new park, which is expected to create 3,700 construction jobs, 740 new full-time jobs and generate $155 million in annual economic activity.
Sikorsky Blackhawk helicopters conducted flight tests relatively low to Jennings Beach, in Fairfield this week. Crew of the helicopters were testing Bambi Buckets, fire suppression devices that can quickly be refilled from water sources. Helicopters were spotted flying over the beach on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
