Month: June 2021

2021-06-11:00am–#Fairfield CT– #cttraffic– A two car crash reported on I-95 southbound near exit 23. Nothing visible on the traffic cams, no word on any injuries.

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2021-06-10@9:11am–#Fairfield CT–#cttraffic– A report of a crash on the Merritt Parkway southbound just past the rest area. No word on injuries.

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HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that additional youths this year will be able to benefit from the expansion of the Connecticut Youth Employment Program, which provides year-round employment opportunities for youths across Connecticut with community-based agencies. The additional $2 million will bring its total investment to $7.7 million and will be spent to support the program with services like transportation, food support, and other items that will decrease barriers to participation.

The investment comes from Connecticut’s portion of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act – also known as the CARES Act – and is in addition to the $5 million the state previously allocated for the program, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Labor. The Youth Employment and Training Collaboration, a partnership between the Connecticut Department of Labor and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, is also funded at $710,000, giving the program a total of $7.7 million this year.

“The Youth Employment Program helps our young people gain employment during this difficult time and experience the working world,” Governor Lamont said. “That’s a win, not only for our economy but our future workforce, young jobseekers, and businesses, as well. Each year through this program, hundreds of businesses in our state get thousands of hours of subsidized work and the chance to mentor or coach tomorrow’s leaders. Our youth employment programs are an excellent way to start the next generation of workers on a meaningful career path, while also putting dollars in their pockets. I want to thank Connecticut’s Congressional Delegation for their support of this funding to states during this critical time, particularly for young people.”

“Now more than ever, it is crucial to help support the youth of Connecticut as they look to join the workforce,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “These programs will provide the tools our young people need to succeed by increasing youth leadership and improving both job readiness and economic stability.”

“This program offers meaningful job opportunities to young people, helping them build networks, gain experience, and improve their resumes,” Connecticut Labor Commissioner Kurt Westby said. “It is our hope that this program will also introduce young people to the important work being done on the ground by our community health partners, and open new career opportunities for them. I applaud Governor Lamont for expanding funding during a vital time.”

Governor Lamont announced the expansion of the program during a news conference this morning in Hartford at Our Piece of the Pie, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth with key competencies needed to overcome barriers and succeed in education and employment.

“This expanded investment in the Connecticut Youth Employment program couldn’t come at a more crucial time,” Hector Rivera, CEO of Our Piece of the Pie, said. “Young people are a critical resource toward strengthening our communities and they will need additional support to process and move forward after the challenges of the last year. These programs allow organizations like Our Piece of the Pie to become change agents – supporting youth with wage-earning opportunities to develop the skills for successful employment and careers today and become the successful adults and community members of tomorrow.”

The Connecticut Youth Employment program runs year-round and is implemented by the state’s five Workforce Development Boards to increase youth leadership, improve job readiness, and improve economic stability. The 2020 program year was funded at just over $7.6 million and served more than 2,300 young people through December of 2020. The initiative will support the state’s reopening efforts.

The additional funding will provide mental health trainings for youth workers and case managers; and expand support services like transportation and food assistance. The program will expand youth peer mentors, youth outreach, and employer engagement specialists to remove barriers to participation – especially for marginalized youth – and build in equity and inclusion.

Some opportunities include:

• Virtual outreach through social media to promote safer health practices;
• Delivery of educational materials to community and other organizations;
• Outreach and assistance to homebound families; and
• Fostering youth-to-youth connections and acting as social distancing ambassadors.

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#Stratford- On June 9 th 2021 a male student a Bunnell High School suffered a self inflicted wound. The
student used a knife to cause the injury to himself.
As a result the school was temporarily placed in lockdown until Officers and medical personnel arrived
and the student was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He is listed in stable condition.
Students and staff were released from school early as a result.
The incident is still under investigation. No names will be released due to the age of the student involved.
The Stratford Board of Education will determine the schedule for the remainder of the school week.
This was an isolated incident of self harm and no other students were harmed.

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2021-06-09@7:26pm–#Bridgeport CT– Firefighters and EMS arrived to this crash at East Main Street and Beardsley Park Terrace to find people trapped in the car and called for a full extrication assignment. They quickly freed the occupants and three of them were transported to the hospital with unknown injuries.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Angus King (I-Maine) reintroduced legislation to provide additional resources to support the mental health and safety of children and improve educational outcomes for students. The Social-Emotional Learning for Families (SELF) Act would direct the Department of Education to establish a competitive grant program that supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of successful teacher and school leader training programs on family engagement. The programs aim to improve teachers’ and school leaders’ ability to develop and support the social-emotional learning (SEL) of children – a need that has been highlighted by the broad-reaching impacts of the pandemic and school closures on students across the nation.

“Resources to equip students with social and emotional learning skills are more critical than ever during the pandemic—enabling them to successfully tackle the immense stresses, traumas, and hardships,” said Blumenthal. “Having championed social and emotional learning programs for almost a decade, I’ve seen their powerful impact in helping students deal with emotions and effectively navigate social situations. This vital investment in personal resilience will help build a stronger generation.”

“When our children head off to school, they of course learn their reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic – but also learn about teamwork, and compromise, and kindness,” said King. “Those concepts may not show up on a report card, but they are absolutely essential to long-term success. The coronavirus pandemic has impacted our children’s social-emotional learning by upending routines and altering support systems – which is why we need to take steps to strengthen these critical efforts, and support efforts to help produce the next generation of engaged, successful citizens.”

“Since the murder of my six year old son, Jesse, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I have dedicated my life to advocating for essential life skills that lead to flourishing,” said Scarlett Lewis, founder of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement. “Children’s social and emotional learning begins in the home. An individual’s upbringing can determine their future. The SELF Act addresses the cause of many of the issues we’re experiencing in schools, that translates into homes and communities including mental health, substance abuse and violence. This in turn can provide a solution to these problems and help create the world we want to live in.”

According to The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, SEL skills have been found to improve academic performance, decrease mental health and behavioral health problems, decrease drug use, decrease crime and violence rates. Research also shows that these school-based programs are more effective when they are supported by parent and family involvement. Additionally, while dozens of states and school districts already have their own guidelines and standards for SEL, many lack the funding to implement their programs.

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2021-06-09@12:17am–#Fairfield CT– A missing Fairfield woman who was missing since Tuesday around 7:45am returned on her own to her home. In a statement “Family and friends have reported that Jamie has recently exhibited behavior which causes them great concern for her safety and well-being,”  EMS were called for a well being check.

2021-06-08@8:57pm–#Bridgeport CT– Citywide towing was quick on the scene at 2240 East Main Street where a vehicle rolled almost hitting the building. The driver fled the scene.

2021-06-08 #Bridgeport CT– Probation Officer Kaitlyn Edwards who was at the illegal after hours club at 1023 Main Street when two men were shot and killed has been terminated effective immediately ,. The Chief of Police, Civil Service Director and the Civil Service Commission today voted to terminate her.

Charles Dimples Barnes, 38, of Bloomfield, and, Norman Charles Peter, 40, of Stamford where gunned down inside the club’s basement. Police arrested Josiah J. Israel, 35, and Christopher Mojica, 37, on the charges of illegal sale of alcohol, conspiracy to commit illegal sale of alcohol and second-degree reckless endangerment.

Hartford, CT – Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of An Act Concerning Data Privacy Breaches, a measure sought by the Office of the Attorney General to update and strengthen Connecticut’s breach notification statute.

“Connecticut has led the nation in data privacy for over a decade, and this legislation ensures that we will continue to do so. Since we passed one of our nation’s first laws protecting consumers from online data breaches, technology and risks have evolved. This legislation ensures that our laws reflect those evolving risks and continue to offer strong, comprehensive protection for Connecticut residents,” said Attorney General Tong.

In 2005, Connecticut passed one of the nation’s first laws protecting consumers from online data breaches. Since then, technology and associated risks have evolved. The legislation broadens the definition of “personal information” to include additional categories such as medical information, online account information, passport numbers, military identification, and health insurance account numbers. The bill also shortens the outside limit to which entities must notify individuals and the Office of the Attorney General of a security breach from 90 days to 60 days, which is in line with recent amendments passed in other states.

The state Senate unanimously approved the legislation on June 5. The House unanimously approved the legislation on May 27. The bill now heads to Governor Ned Lamont for his signature.

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