(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed legislation that enacts a law prohibiting health care providers and hospitals in Connecticut from reporting a person’s medical debt to credit rating agencies for use in credit reports. It also voids any medical debt that is reported to credit rating agencies.
“When medical debt is included in a person’s credit report, creditors are making decisions based on a person’s medical history that is not necessarily representative of their financial responsibility and household finances,” Governor Lamont said. “By prohibiting medical debt from being reported to creditors, we are protecting patients who may have otherwise been apprehensive about seeking essential medical care.”
The bill was championed in the legislature by State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), who serves as co-chair of the Human Services Committee.
“Medical debt is not the result of poor financial decisions – it is the result of a health care system where many families are just one accident or one bad diagnosis away from ruined credit and all that comes with it,” Senator Lesser said. “With Governor Lamont’s signature, Connecticut now has some of the strongest consumer protections in the country. This was a priority for me this session and I am grateful to Governor Lamont and to Senate President Martin Looney for their strong support.”
The Connecticut Hospital Association, the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and several consumer advocacy groups submitted testimony to the legislature in support of the bill.
The legislation is Public Act 24-6, An Act Concerning the Reporting of Medical Debt. It takes effect July 1, 2024.
The Stratford Library won top honors recently in the 2024 Connecticut Library Association Publication Awards. The Library won the Designer’s Choice Publicity Award for its “Billy Bones” campaign which utilized a 12-foot skeleton at the Library entrance last fall to promote the agency and its many services.
What began as a fanciful idea from Assistant Director Geri Diorio, “Billy Bones” became a full-fledged tour de force on social media for the Stratford Library in October 2023. While libraries always provide vital services, “Billy Bones” was a delightful reminder to the community that they could have fun with their library. Once Billy (named for Shakespeare, a nod to Stratford’s English namesake) was assembled, his tag line was born: “It’s Never Too Late To Get Your Library Card”. The Library invited people to take a “skelfie” with Billy and share what they were reading on social media platforms. Classes visiting the library, Girl Scout Troops and the Library’s own teen volunteers often gathered in front of Billy for group photos.
Patrons responded by posting about Billy, bragging to their friends about their “cool library”, and sharing their own skelfies. As a result, the “Billy Bones” campaign on Facebook garnered a total of 430 likes, resulted in 84 shares, and reached a total of 18,850 Facebook users. Instagram views were 2309 and patrons shared on X as well. “Billy Bones” was recently a popular addition to the silent auction at the Library’s annual gala and has now found a good home in Stratford.
Westport, CT – The Public Works Department announced today that the Town’s Spring Paving Program will begin on Monday, May 13, weather permitting. The program will continue through the end of May until mid-June, paving the following Town roadways, though not necessarily in this order:
Brookside Drive
Evergreen Avenue
Evergreen Parkway
Kings Highway North
Crawford Road
Hillandale Lane
East Main Street
Rainey Lane
Pioneer Road
Maple Avenue South
Greenbrier Road
Church Street North
Pleasant Valley Lane
Brightfield Lane
Imperial Avenue
Green’s Farms Road
Morningside Drive North
Questions regarding the project can be referred to the Public Works Office at (203) 341-1120.
Help me welcome Shawn (on the left) and Joe from Operation Restore. If disaster strikes your home or business, it’s time for Operation Restore! They specialize in disaster cleanup, whether caused by fire, flood, a fallen tree, or a car crashing into your building. They’re there to help restore your operation.” You can reach them online at
https://operationresto.com/ or phone them at 914-Restore.
On the evening of Monday, May 6th at 4:04 pm, the Bridgeport Police Department responded to a Shot-Spotter activation indicating one round fired on the 200th block of Granfield Ave. Upon arrival, multiple police units began searching for both potential victims and suspects. A resident reported seeing a vehicle speeding away and a person dressed in all black firing a single shot before fleeing towards Success Village on foot. Officers found several children and citizens outdoors due to the pleasant weather. Shortly after, they apprehended a suspicious individual, later identified as 28-year-old Garfield Brown from Bridgeport, who was altering his appearance by removing clothing and a face mask. Brown was found in possession of three firearms, including a 9mm Sig Sauer with a 17-round magazine, a 9mm Heckler and Koch with a 10-round magazine, and a 38-caliber Taurus 856. A spent casing matching the shot detected by Shot-Spotter was recovered at the scene. Brown admitted to consuming THC and alcohol. He faced charges including illegal discharge of a weapon, carrying a firearm under the influence, reckless endangerment, risk of injury to a child, breach of peace, and illegal possession of a large capacity magazine. He was assigned a $25,000.00 bond.
[Hartford, CT] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative John Larson (D-CT-01), joined by U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and U.S. Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Essential Caregivers Act.
This bill would protect the residents in long-term care facilities, giving all residents nationwide the right to have in person access to an essential caregiver when visitations are restricted due to a declared emergency. The bipartisan bill seeks to prevent a repeat of the isolation and lack of care that long-term care residents were unjustly subjected to during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also requires CMS to set clear and fair guidelines for essential caregivers to protect the safety of facility staff and residents.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the vital role family members play in the care and wellbeing of their loved ones in long-term care facilities,” said Blumenthal. “The Essential Caregivers Act ensures that in the event of a future emergency, residents in these facilities will still be able to receive the support, care, and companionship that their family members provide. This commonsense legislation allows at least one designated essential caregiver to have safe, in-person access to their loved ones at all times—ultimately protecting the overall physical, emotional, and mental health of long-term care residents.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that isolation hurts all of us, yet countless families were prevented from being with their loved ones during their time of need,” said Larson. “I am glad to join Rep. Tenney and Senators Blumenthal and Cornyn in this bipartisan and bicameral effort to expand visiting access for essential caregivers during future public health emergencies to ensure residents can get the support they need from their loved ones and never again face the isolation that was a reality for far too many patients.”
“Under federal law, nursing homes and long-term care facilities have the obligation to allow their residents access to caregivers,” said Tenney. “Sadly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, this right was denied to many residents and families, causing many seniors and patients to suffer and die alone. This injustice should never occur again, which is why Congressman John Larson, Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Senator John Cornyn and I introduced the Essential Caregivers Act. We must fix this loophole to protect the rights of senior citizens, those with disabilities, and their families during the next public health crisis.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic showed just how invaluable caregivers are to the physical and emotional wellbeing of long-term care facility residents and their families,” said Cornyn. “This bill would ensure residents have consistent access to their loved ones or other designated caregivers, even during public health emergencies when regular visitation may be limited.”
The legislation is cosponsored in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), John Rutherford (R-FL-05), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03), Susan Wild, (D-PA-07), Mike Carey (R-OH-15), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05), Susie Lee (D-NV-03), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), and Donald Davis (D-NC-01).
On May 9, 2024 at approximately 3:10 PM, Westport Police responded to Lux,Bond, and Green at 136 Main Street on a report of a burglary. Employees of the store reported two individuals wearing masks and gloves entered the store with sledgehammers and began smashing display cases. The employees safely retreated to the rear of the store and had no interaction with the suspects. The suspects stole an unknown quantity of jewelry and fled the store running south on Elm Street. They were last seen fleeing the area in a black BMW sedan towards Fairfield on PostRoad East. Westport Police are requesting anyone who may have information on those responsible to contact the Westport Police Detective Bureau at (203)341-6080.
The Bridgeport Police Department’s Homicide Unit is attempting to identify the adult males pictured here. They are wanted for firearm offenses only, related to the robbery/double homicide at an illegal gambling establishment at Stratford Ave. and Logan St. on March 30th, 2024. There are no arrest warrants at this time. This is solely a request for assistance in identification. These persons frequent the East End of Bridgeport. They are to be considered armed and dangerous. This alert is part of a continuing and comprehensive investigation into all aspects of the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Homicide Detective Keith Hanson at (203) 581-5243.
