Good morning. A New York City mural by street artist Banksy will be relocated to a Bridgeport, Connecticut courtyard. It depicts a boy spraying “Ghetto 4 Life” on a wall as a butler offers him a tray of spray cans.
It was removed from the South Bronx on Monday after its home building became slated for demolition. It will be replaced by a new charter school. Banksy’s “Hammer Boy” mural on the Upper West Side is now his last art piece remaining in the city.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
New York State United Teachers union tours Long Island schools. Long Island is the first stop on their statewide tour. Union officials plan to meet with district leaders, educators, parents and students to discuss proposed budget cuts to Foundation Aid funding. The proposed executive budget would cut over $400 million in school aid. Nassau and Suffolk County schools are expected to lose a combined 4% of funding. That’s an average of 16.6% of funding per district.
Swastika found at Quinnipiac. The graffiti was found on Tuesday in a bathroom stall. University spokesman John Morgan called the incident “abhorrent” and said it violates their code of conduct. Hamden police and the university’s public safety department are investigating the incident. This is the third time a swastika has been found on Quinnipiac’s York Hill campus this year.
St. Michael's Recreation Center is now a Brookhaven landmark. The Brookhaven Town Board unanimously voted to reclassify the building last week. Its new designation will protect the 75-year-old building for future generations. First opened in 1949 as St. Michael's Church, the building went on to serve a variety of roles from a community center to a bank.
Illinois woman sues Trumbull fertility company. The lawsuit against CooperSurgical claims they falsely advertised a painless contraceptive device. In 2014, the woman had Filshie Clips close off her fallopian tubes and has experienced intense abdominal pain ever since. She had one of the clips removed in June 2023, but the other is missing. She accuses Cooper of knowingly selling the defective device and claims the company violated the Connecticut Products Liability Act.
Mazi Pilip is officially a Republican. The GOP candidate for New York’s 3rd Congressional District was a registered Democrat when she ran in the recent special election. She announced the change following her defeat by Democrat Tom Suozzi earlier this month. Pilip shared on social media that she is “proud” to be a Republican. Nassau Republican chairman Joseph Cairo said the Democratic Party had "abandoned" Pilip.
A Stamford attorney calls for the firing of a city cop. Darnell Crosland calls for Mayor Caroline Simmons to fire police officer Zachary Lockwood. Lockwood fatally struck Reverend Tommie Jackson while responding to a car accident in July. He was charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle earlier this month. Crosland represents Jackson’s family in a lawsuit against the city and the officer. Lockwood is expected to return to court in late March.
Suffolk nonprofit employee indicted. Hayden Daley, who worked for the mental health nonprofit WellLife Network, has been indicted for repeatedly raping a 13-year-old resident. According to county District Attorney Ray Tierney, Daley had been assaulting the resident since mid-2023. He attempted to pick up the child in January before he was arrested. Daley was arraigned on Monday and is expected to return to county court on Monday, April 1.
Sikorsky unveils new hybrid electric aircraft vehicle. The Stratford-based aviation company announced on Wednesday. The new vertical takeoff dual propeller helicopter is equipped with an advanced autonomy system but features less mechanical systems to lower maintenance costs. This is the first vehicle of a new, next-generation VTOL aircraft series.
Shelter Island board will have an empty seat this year. The town board failed to reach a consensus on appointing a fifth member. Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams left her seat on the board in November 2023, and it’s remained vacant ever since. Town voters will vote for a new candidate to fill the position in November later this year.
Connecticut children’s immunization rates are on the rise. This is despite a nationwide anti-vaccine movement. According to the state Department of Public Health, over 97% of kindergarteners were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella in the 2022-2023 school year. This is a near 2% increase since the 2020-2021 school year. Department officials cited eliminating Connecticut’s religious exemption from vaccine requirements for this increase.
