Good morning — Connecticut is among more than two dozen states reporting high levels of COVID-19, according to wastewater surveillance data monitored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New York is reporting low levels of COVID from wastewater, despite Long Island hospitals warning of increased positive cases. The states do not have clear additional data tracking positive COVID cases due to the lack of patient testing and reporting.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we’re hearing:
An audit shows Suffolk County approved more than $25 million in spending in the aftermath of a 2022 ransomware attack on county computers. That figure is more than four times higher than prior admissions from the county. After the attack, then-County Executive Steve Bellone declared 16 consecutive monthly states of emergency. Those allowed Suffolk to suspend normal competitive bidding rules.
Connecticut sued several solar energy companies for alleged deceptive and unlawful sales tactics. SunRun, Bright Planet Solar and Elevate Solar Solutions are accused of misconduct, including failure to obtain permits for solar panels, faulty products and forged signatures. The state attorney general filed the lawsuit based on the complaints of homeowners in Stafford, Wethersfield and Windsor.
A waste transfer station in Stamford is in jeopardy while the city repairs a crumbling canal wall nearby. The wall is the second line of defense to Stamford’s hurricane barrier to protect the city from storm surge and erosion from the Long Island Sound. Stamford is seeking federal assistance to cover the estimated $12.7 million project.
A Long Island man was arrested for multiple hate crime charges. Suffolk County prosecutors say 35-year-old Brendan Marchetti allegedly threatened to kill four Muslim men and rammed his vehicle into theirs while both were stopped at a red light. Marchetti was placed on supervised release with mental health conditions ahead of his court date on July 24.
A Connecticut Superior Court judge granted Michelle Troconis a public defender to help her appeal her conviction on conspiracy to commit murder in the 2019 death of Jennifer Dulos. Troconis was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison and has been in custody since March at York Correctional Institution. Her boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, killed himself in 2020 after he was suspected of his estranged wife’s disappearance. Troconis denies her involvement and calls her conviction a "miscarriage of justice."
Trumbull’s town planner has won an international martial arts competition. Rob Librandi was named the World Heavyweight Black Belt champion in power breaking for shattering 13 concrete blocks with his moves. The 42-year-old returned home from the U.S. Open for World Martial Arts held in Orlando, Florida this month.
