Good morning. South Asian invasive spotted lanternflies are on the move this month in Fairfield and New Haven counties. The flies and their invasive host tree, the tree of heaven, threaten crops, other plants and bees by overfeeding and spreading harmful mold.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has issued a quarantine order for the areas until 2025. Officials suggest residents help eliminate the bugs by destroying their eggs, using contact insecticides and removing trees of heaven.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we’re hearing:
A small plane crashed at Long Island MacArthur Airport on Monday, killing both passengers. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. As a result of the crash, four flights from the airport have been canceled and one runway is still closed. Officials warned more cancellations and delays are likely to occur. The Federal Aviation Administration says the exact cause of the crash remains unknown.
35% of all tattoo ink in the United States is contaminated with bacteria. According to the Food and Drug Administration, bacteria from tattoo ink can survive in people’s skin, which may lead to rashes, scarring and organ failure. No one in Connecticut has been infected by contaminated tattoo ink. To prevent infection, the FDA recommends people avoid recalled tattoo inks and have tattoo studios do the same.
The Town of North Hempstead will receive $150,000 to conduct a climate vulnerability assessment. Officials say they’ll use the money to make the town more resilient to climate change. This is part of a $7.3 million fund distributed among New York municipalities statewide for the Climate Smart Communities grant program. The money is intended to help municipalities reduce carbon emissions, flood risk, and critical infrastructure.
Central Connecticut State University will pay over $760,000 to a former employee after losing an arbitration case before the State Supreme Court. Former Director of Student Conduct Christopher Dukes was fired in 2018 after he was arrested in an alleged domestic incident. All charges were dropped, but an arbitration decision required the university to rehire Dukes with back pay. In 2020, a lower court vacated the decision, but was overturned.
Long Beach’s City Council increased fines for illegally riding electric bicycles on boardwalks and sidewalks last week. E-bike riders in these areas can be fined from $50 to $500. Previously they could be fined from $2 to $250. The Long Beach Police Department said they will buy their own e-bikes next year to catch up to speeding and unsafe cyclists. Some e-bikes can reach speeds as fast as 25 mph.
