Month: October 2020

STRATFORD – The Stratford Strong task force, in conjunction with the Department of Economic & Community Development and the Community Development Administrator, is seeking input from local small businesses that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

In an effort to assess how many Stratford small businesses require assistance, and to explore their most in-demand needs, the Town has established a COVID-19 Impact Survey for Microenterprises. A microenterprise is defined as a commercial business that employees no more than five employees, including the business owner(s). This survey is being distributed by the Department of Economic & Community Development and Stratford Strong, a long-term recovery assistance task force created by Mayor Laura R. Hoydick. The data collected from this survey will be integral to creating a strategy to assist and support small businesses during this difficult time.  

The survey can be found here: https://forms.gle/JL2zRRFEAeKLqLTR7

Small business owners are urged to complete this short survey as soon as possible. The survey will close on October 27^th.  

Please direct any questions to stratfordstrong@townofstratford.com.   

This press release was made possible by:

2020-10-21@7:11pm– #Bridgeport CT– A pedestrian was struck at Washington Avenue and West Avenue. The victim was being “belligerent” according to radio reports.

A two-vehicle crash in the East End of Bridgeport sends one person to the hospital . Witnessed Say a Honda SUV Was going the wrong way down Stratford Avenue when it collided with a motorcycle.
The person on the motorcycle was taken to the hospital. No word yet on his condition. Police are investigating.

On October 21, 2020 at approximately 12:15 P.M., the Ansonia Police were sent to the Target parking lot, 20 West Main Street, to investigate a report of a robbery where the suspect displayed a handgun. Officers responded to the area and learned that the victims were meeting with the suspect to complete an online transaction. During the interaction, the suspect displayed a handgun and robbed the victims before fleeing in a light-colored vehicle. The suspect was described as a light-skinned black male, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue mask.  The vehicle the suspect came from was being driven by another person; there is no description available of the driver.  The vehicle was described as a light-colored sedan with tinted windows.

The Ansonia Police would like to remind everyone that purchasing and selling at unsecured meet-up points can be potentially dangerous. The Ansonia Police Department has a meet-up spot directly in front of the police facility at 2 Elm Street and the public is welcome to use this spot to complete their transactions.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information related to this incident is asked to call the Ansonia Police Department at 203-735-1885, or tips can be left anonymously through TIP 411 at the link below.

This press release was made possible by:

#Stratford CT–On 10-3-2020 at 11:30 p.m. the complainant lost his wallet at Home Depot.  A couple found the wallet and used his debit card at Home Depot purchasing $361.00 worth of merchandise.  They then went to Walmart and bought a $742.00, Samsung, 65” TV.  They continue to use his debit card at Bev Max liquor store making a purchase of $127.00.  

Caucasian  male is approximately 5’-8”, 160 lbs., and 35-40 years old.  He is wearing a white baseball cap with sunglasses on top of his cap, a blue jacket with a fluorescent yellow inner hood and fluorescent yellow trim on the sides with dark blue sleeves.  A white T-shirt, gold chain, blue shorts, short black socks, and blue running sneakers.  

Caucasian female is 35-40 years old, 5’-5” tall, 135 lbs.  She has long hair.  She is wearing a long sleeve grayish shirt with a hoodie, grey leggings, and black Nike running shoes.  

Anyone with information is asked to call the investigator at 203-385-4142

HARTFORD, CT – Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, and Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey today released the following joint statement regarding the regional travel advisory that was issued by their states in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:

“Our states have worked together successfully in combating this pandemic since the beginning and we’ll continue to do so. The travel advisory was designed to keep our respective states safe, with the understanding that we are a connected region, dependent on each other when it comes to commerce, education, and health care. We’re urging all of our residents to avoid unnecessary or non-essential travel between states at this time, but will not subject residents of our states to a quarantine if coming from a neighboring state. New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have among the lowest infection rates in the country because we have based our approaches to controlling the spread on science and data, and we will continue to do so.”

Governor Lamont has directed his staff to reach out to their counterparts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to discuss working out a similar approach with their respective states.

This press release is made possible by:

Attorney General William Tong issued a statement following a court victory protecting the SNAP benefits of 700,000 Americans.

“This court ruling makes sure that Americans in need will not go hungry at a time of record high unemployment and food insecurity,” said Attorney General Tong. “Our lawsuit challenged the Trump Administration’s proposal to gut SNAP benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented economic strife. The court agreed this proposal was inhumane and unnecessary. This is an excellent result for Connecticut people struggling to get food on the table.”

Earlier this year, Attorney General Tong and a coalition of 15 attorneys general, sued the Trump Administration over changes to the SNAP program that would have cut SNAP benefits for 700,000 Americans by limiting states’ ability to extend benefits beyond a three-month period for unemployed adults who live in economically depressed areas.

The 1996 federal welfare reform law limited the time period that unemployed able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) could access SNAP benefits to three months. But the law made an exception, allowing states to request waivers of the three month time limit for regions with high unemployment. The Trump Administration’s proposed rule would have severely restricted states’ ability to request such waivers by basing waivers solely on the economic conditions in large “labor market area” groupings. Such groupings ignore local economic conditions. Under the new rule, for instance, Bridgeport SNAP recipients would be ineligible for food stamps because of low unemployment in Greenwich and Darien. In Connecticut, 363,500 people receive SNAP benefits — one out of every 10 state residents. Under the proposed rule, 25,788 of those recipients would have lost food assistance benefits.

The current pandemic and the following economic distress underscores the need to preserve SNAP food assistance. In March alone, 40 percent of American households with incomes below $40,000 lost jobs. From March 15 to May 15 of this year, 40.8 million Americans filed for unemployment and the number of Americans applying for SNAP benefits has also spiked.

This press release was made possible by:

2020-10-20@6:50pm–The Ansonia Police Department received a complaint of an armed robbery at the S & S Mart, 95 Division Street. Two males, one armed with a handgun, entered the store and demanded the employee turn over all the money in the register. Several hundred dollars and store merchandise was taken during the robbery. The suspects are described as black males, one tall and thin wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, grey pants, black facemask and carrying a black handgun, the other medium height and weight wearing a tan and camouflage hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and black facemask. The suspects fled the store on foot towards Wakelee Avenue. The department is asking anyone with information to please contact 203-735-1885 or tips can be left anonymously through TIP 411 at the link below.

This press release was made possible by:

2020-10-20@10:18pm–#Bridgeport CT– A person was shot on Hanover Street and transported to the hospital by private vehicle. A number of parked cars were also shot up.

This news report is made possible by: