#Norwalk CT–On Friday, March 5, 2021, the Norwalk Police Department Special Services Division seized a large quantity of narcotics and money, and arrested Rasheen Thompson for multiple narcotics – related charges. Special Services Investigators had actively been investigating narcotics trafficking occurring within the Roodner Court complex. A Search and Seizure Warrant was obtained and executed. As a result of the Search Warrant, Special Services Investigators seized the following evidence: approximately $8000 in US Currency 130 fentanyl pills 10.35 grams of suspected crack cocaine 27.35 grams of powder cocaine 1.77 pounds of marijuana in 39 separate bags of varying weight 30 folds of Heroin 79 Ecstasy pills 3 bags of fentanyl pills (45 total) pressed to resemble OxyContin pills This investigation is currently ongoing. Arrested: Rasheen Thompson, 27 of 261 Ely Avenue Building 11, Apt 2F Charges: Possession Within 1500’ of a School, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Narcotics with Intent to Sell, Sale/Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia near a School, Possession of >1/2 Ounce Cannabis, Possession of a Controlled Substance Bond: $250,000
Norwalk Police Tip Line: 203-854-3111
Anonymous Internet tips can be sent to Norwalk Police website at: www.norwalkpd.com
WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, led a group of seven senators in introducing legislation to support early-career researchers whose employment opportunities have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act would create a new postdoctoral fellowship program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to prevent the loss of research talent due to job market disruptions caused by the economic decline during and after the pandemic.
“This bill creates a new NSF postdoctoral fellowship program to support the next generation of STEM talent,” said Blumenthal. “STEM researchers who are just starting out in their careers, especially women and minority groups traditionally underrepresented in this field, have been hit hard by COVID-related lab closures, funding shortages, and lost job opportunities. Through this program, Congress can support talented scientists and continue to invest in American innovation. This is a win-win and I encourage my colleagues to join this effort.”
The Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act is also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Chris Coons (D-DE). A similar bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in January by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK).
“The pandemic has disrupted everyday life and made it even more difficult for early career researchers pursuing STEM fields – especially for women and minority researchers who already faced substantial barriers in these fields,” said Hirono. “This bill will create essential opportunities at the National Science Foundation so that the next generation of scientists can continue to advance in their careers.”
“Scientific research is crucial to spurring innovation that ultimately creates jobs, drives our economy, and saves lives. We cannot allow the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn to slow the pipeline of up-and-coming researchers, particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority-Serving Institutions, who have been most negatively impacted by the fallout from the pandemic. This legislation will help ensure that we don’t fall behind and that the United States continues to lead the world in research and development,” said Van Hollen.
“This pandemic has proven how crucial STEM skills are to the future of our country – but many of our young scientists’ careers have been adversely affected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Brown. “In times of crisis, we have to make sure that equitable opportunities are afforded to postdoctoral scholars in STEM fields, which were already woefully underrepresented by women and especially women of color, well before the pandemic. This bill does that. ”
“I’m proud to join Senator Blumenthal in introducing the Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act,” said Coons, co-chair of the HBCU Caucus. “This bill will help talented young scientists struggling to find work during the pandemic secure research positions and support America’s leadership in scientific innovation.”
The bill has been endorsed by the Association of American Universities, the Council of Graduate Schools, the American Mathematical Society, the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, and the National Postdoctoral Association.
This press release was made possible by:
Click for coupons here:
https://www.facebook.com/DoingItLocal/photos/a.273728507168/10158201932542169/
The Stratford Library presents “Hamilton Trivia Night” on Friday, March 19 at 7 pm. Anyone who has seen the Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway musical or its current film version on Disney+, is welcome to play via Zoom. Trivia will be presented in a Jeopardy-style format with teams competing in different categories for points. A few lucky contestants will win Hamilton-themed prizes in a random prize drawing. This event was planned and created by Stratford Library volunteers Avanti, Kaitlyn and Sam.
STRATFORD – This year’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities at Town Hall in Stratford will begin with the raising of the Irish flag in a ceremony on the green on front of Town Hall at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 17th. Mayor Laura R. Hoydick will name the Irish Mayor for the Day, and State Senator Kevin Kelly will be master of ceremonies.
In consideration of continuing concerns associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional reception and Irish soda bread competition which are usually a feature of the celebration will not be held this year.
“Last year the first of many public events we lost from the pandemic was our traditional celebration of St. Patrick’s Day at Town Hall,” said Mayor Laura Hoydick. “While we remain cautious as we approach this time of year again, it will be good to be able to celebrate this event once again, even if we can’t enjoy all of the aspects of it we ordinarily do.”
All town residents are encouraged to attend. Social distancing and wearing of masks will be required at this event.
This year’s committee for St. Patrick’s Day includes Eileen Murphy, Attorney Tom Cotter, Chief of Staff Michael Downes, Police Chief Joe McNeil, and Fire Chief Brian Lampart.
This news report is made possible by:
https://ctbattery.com/
HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he plans to introduce legislation during the 2021 regular session of the Connecticut General Assembly with the goal of increasing postsecondary enrollment and success across Connecticut, particularly among first-generation, low-income, and minority students.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, postsecondary enrollment has decreased across Connecticut and the country as a whole. Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows that Connecticut experienced a 3.5 percentage point decline in college enrollment from 2019 levels, which ranks 23rd of the 50 states in terms of the largest percentage point decline. Similarly, FAFSA completion among high school seniors is down 8 percent compared to this time last year.
“Increasing postsecondary enrollment and success, particularly among first-generation, low-income, and minority students, is good for students and our state’s economy,” Governor Lamont said. “We must prioritize postsecondary enrollment so that our students are earning degrees and credentials that get them into the workforce and contributing to Connecticut’s economy. These students represent our future, and the stakes are too high if we do not act now to mitigate these losses even further.”
Governor Lamont’s proposal will include the following key initiatives focused on increasing postsecondary enrollment across Connecticut, particularly among first-generation, low-income, and minority students:
Requiring completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, a similar state form for students who are undocumented, or a waiver in order for students to graduate from high school in Connecticut;
Louisiana instituted a similar completion requirement and saw a 25 percent increase in FAFSA completion across the state in that same year.
In the 2018-2019 academic year, high school graduates eligible for Pell funding left behind almost $2.6B in federal aid by not filling out the FAFSA.
Congress recently passed legislation to dramatically simplify the FAFSA in future years.
Creating an auto-admission program at the four campuses of the Connecticut State Universities to increase access to college for academically prepared high school students by simplifying the application process and removing application fees;
Increasing access to Advanced Placement, dual credit, early college, and other high-quality courses by requiring that districts not prohibit students from taking such courses based solely on prior academic performance, and that districts automatically enroll students in advanced coursework if a student is academically prepared; and
Creating an expanded transit pass program, similar to the UPass program used by students at the state’s public colleges and universities, that is open additional institutions including the state’s private universities and other training providers.
“The need for our students to continue their education after high school is critical,” Connecticut Education Deputy Commissioner Desi Nesmith said. “Given the increasing value of a postsecondary credential and that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant reductions in postsecondary enrollment, it is vital that our students take the first step to college by completing the FAFSA and determining whether they are eligible for Pell grants, the Roberta Willis Scholarship, or other aid. The importance of FAFSA completion is why I supported Governor Lamont’s call for a FAFSA challenge, so that high schools would compete to increase their FAFSA completion rates this year. Further, the FAFSA will be dramatically simplified in the near future, making it even easier for students to complete.”
“All too often, eligible students don’t believe they qualify for funding, so they skip the FAFSA and end up unnecessarily paying hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket,” Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Interim President Dr. Jane Gates said. “Governor Lamont’s proposal is a simple change that could make a big difference in the lives of our students. Likewise, we know that there are many smart, talented, hardworking students – most of whom would be the first in their family to go to college – who never get that far because we put too many procedural and bureaucratic barriers in their way. The streamlined admissions process for Connecticut high school students will be easy to navigate and will improve opportunities for deserving students.”
The University of Connecticut has also partnered with the Governor’s Workforce Council and Governor Lamont’s office to create a program that will improve access and enrollment of first-generation, low-income, and minority students. Through this program, called the UConn Alliance Pathway, participating Alliance Schools will identify and share the names of students who are in the top 10 percent of their high school class, or who are among the top 10 percent of free or reduced lunch recipients in their high school class, with UConn annually. UConn will then facilitate targeted support for these students in the form of in-person and virtual engagement. This engagement will include workshops to assist with both applications and FAFSA completion. An application fee waiver will be granted to any student identified by participating Alliance Schools.
“The Alliance Pathway will greatly enhance our ability to identify, recruit and support these very talented and deserving students from across the state of Connecticut,” UConn President Dr. Thomas Katsouleas said. “We’re very excited for this initiative and to be part of the workforce development efforts under way statewide.”
“One of the charges that Governor Lamont gave to the Governor’s Workforce Council and the Office of Workforce Strategy was to improve access and equity in high-quality postsecondary education,” Office of Workforce Strategy Executive Director Dr. Kelli Vallieres said. “Our state’s students represent the future of Connecticut, and the price is too high if we don’t support them in entering a meaningful postsecondary education and developing the skills and credentials they need to contribute to Connecticut’s economy.”
The proposals highlighted above will be included as part of the governor’s workforce and education legislation that will be submitted to the General Assembly in February. Additional initiatives in the governor’s bill on workforce and education include:
Coordinating workforce development policies and programs across Connecticut
Codifying the Office of Workforce Strategy within the Department of Economic and Community Development for administrative purposes only
Creating more short-term workforce training programs in high-demand industries across the state
Launching CareerConneCT, which will expand existing high-performing workforce training programs and create new programs that are aligned to the workforce needs of in-demand industries across the state
Increasing the amount of educational and workforce data that is captured across the state so that students, job seekers, and policy makers can make more data-driven decisions
Launching a registry that will contain all secondary and postsecondary credentials offered in Connecticut
Increasing the number of fields captured in wage records to include more information on demographics, educational attainment, occupation, and other key areas
One of Governor Lamont’s priorities since entering office has been focused on creating a nation-leading workforce that is underpinned by a strong educational system. In 2019, Governor Lamont created the Governor’s Workforce Council, which released its strategic plan on workforce development for the state in October 2020. The strategic plan outlines major initiatives focused on Connecticut’s educational system that are currently underway.
2021-03-07@12:44am–#Bridgeport CT– Police are looking for a silver car with heavy front end damager after hitting parked cars in the 400 block of Connecticut Avenue. The car may have fled onto I-95.
This news report is made possible by:
Click for coupons here:
https://www.facebook.com/DoingItLocal/photos/a.273728507168/10158201932542169/
