(Westport, CT) The Westport Police Department advises all residents and motorists that the Greens Farms area will be impacted by the running of the Fairfield Half Marathon on Sunday June 2, 2024 around 8:15 am – 10:15 am on Westport Roads on the Southeast side of town. Runners will enter Westport on Greens Farms Road at the Fairfield town line, continuing to New Creek Road and on to Beachside Avenue before exiting into Southport. Through traffic will be stopped or severely limited while runners make their way through town. Motorists should anticipate heavy delays due to road closures along the race route. Race organizers state runners will enter town at approximately 8:15 am and be off Westport streets by 10:15am. The race route runs for three miles on Westport roads. Westport emergency personnel will be stationed inside the route area to respond to any emergencies with minimal delays. Please consider alternate routes if you must pass through the area. Residents along the route should expect that it will be difficult to get in or out of driveways during times of heavy runner presence.
Report of a fire in a garage at the condos on Yale Street. Firefighters are reporting the fire is now out at this time and they are checking for extensions in the building.
On May 28, 2024, members of the Special Services Division, assisted by the Patrol Division, executed search warrants on Keith Johnson and his residence at The Waypointe Apartment complex. After a lengthy investigation into Johnson for illegal narcotics trafficking, search warrants were obtained through Stamford Superior Court. Surveillance was conducted outside the apartment complex, and when Johnson was observed walking in the area, he was taken into custody without incident.
A search warrant was immediately executed at Johnson’s apartment, resulting in the seizure of a large amount of narcotics. The following items were seized: 1,167 folds of fentanyl weighing 292 grams, loose powdered fentanyl weighing 84 grams, loose MDMA/fentanyl powder weighing 7 grams, loose crack cocaine weighing 15 grams, 739 ecstasy pills containing fentanyl weighing 330 grams, and numerous items used to facilitate a drug factory, including four scales, a cutting agent, stamps, and a blender. Additionally, $1,103 in US currency was confiscated.
Keith Johnson, 33, of Norwalk, CT, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance (first offense), sale of 1 oz or more of heroin/methadone, operation of a drug factory, use of drug paraphernalia, and risk of injury to a child. His bond was set at $350,000, and his court date is scheduled for June 11, 2024.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed legislation approved by the Connecticut General Assembly this session strengthening the state’s laws regarding paid sick days protections by expanding them to ensure that more workers are covered and have access to them.
Connecticut’s existing paid sick days laws require employers with more than 50 employees that are mostly in specific retail and service occupations (such as food service workers, health care workers, and others) to provide their employees with up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually.
This legislation signed by Governor Lamont expands this coverage to include more workers in two ways:
Beginning January 1, 2025, these laws will apply to workers of nearly every occupation, not just those in retail and service jobs. (Seasonal employees and other certain temporary workers are exempt.)
The threshold for coverage will be lowered in three phases, beginning with employers that have at least 25 employees on January 1, 2025; those with at least 11 employees beginning January 1, 2026; and those with at least one employee beginning January 1, 2027.
Additionally, the legislation broadens the definition of who qualifies as a family member when a worker wants to use their paid sick days to care for a loved one to also include those other than that person’s own minor children, as limited under the current law. It also expands the reasons why an employee may use paid sick leave to include instances related to the declaration of a public health emergency.
“Our existing paid sick days laws include important protections for certain workers, however there are broad categories left unprotected, and this update will expand this coverage to help ensure that people do not have to choose between going to work sick and sacrificing a day’s wage,” Governor Lamont said. “Given what we just experienced during the recent outbreak of a viral pandemic, it’s appropriate that we take a look at our paid sick days laws and evaluate how they are working and how they can be strengthened. I applaud the General Assembly for sending this bill to my desk so that I could sign it into law, and in particular I want to recognize the advocacy of Senate President Looney, Senator Kushner, and Representative Sanchez.”
“Our state has been proud to lead the way with one of the most comprehensive paid leave programs in the country that’s creating a working environment where everyone can succeed,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “But before our paid medical family leave program, in 2011, Connecticut became the first state in the nation to require certain employers to provide employees with 40 hours of paid sick time per year – but since that time, we’ve fallen behind. By updating these statutes, we are allowing more workers the opportunity to care for themselves or a family member without the fear that it’ll negatively impact their career. This is legislation that truly supports our workers, their families, and their communities.”
“The private-sector workplace is rapidly evolving, with salaries and benefits becoming more and more competitive as unemployment rates drop and our economy continues to expand,” Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney said (D-New Haven). “The expansion of paid sick days to more workers makes sense, both from an economic and a societal standpoint. For low and moderate-income people, the loss of even a couple of day’s pay is a real hardship; it could mean the difference between having the rent that month or not. Connecticut’s pro-employee policies are also bringing more young workers into the state, and keeping them here, for the quality of life they can experience. That’s also a boon to employers to have a broader pool of prospective employees and a happier, healthier, more productive workforce.”
“One of the true highlights of the 2024 legislative session was the expansion of paid sick days. This was my top priority,” State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), co-chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, said. “More than a decade ago, Connecticut was a national leader in requiring certain service sectors to provide paid sick days to their employees – but only a fraction of Connecticut’s workforce was covered. Since 2011, we’ve stood still while other cities and states have exceeded what we started. In the daily race to attract new residents and new jobs, standing still is not an option. With the signing of this bill, every worker in Connecticut is on their way to earning paid sick days. I want to thank the governor and my fellow Democrats in the General Assembly for recognizing the value of human labor in our economy, and for recognizing the needs of employees and their families to stay well in the never-ending demands of business for more productivity and more profits. There has been a new-found respect for working people since the pandemic, and offering paid sick days to everyone by 2027 is one way we can show our appreciation and grow our workforce.”
“Workers should never have to choose between their health and their jobs,” State Representative Manny Sanchez (D-New Britain), co-chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, said. “This legislation marks a significant advancement toward healthier workplaces, increased productivity, and better employee retention. I am grateful to Governor Lamont for signing this life changing initiative.”
The Westport Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Scholarship Foundation is proud to announce that it has awarded scholarships to twenty-two students attending college in the fall semester. The WPBA Scholarship Foundation is forever indebted to the organization’s founders and principal donors, Joan Poster and the late Dennis Poster. Joan Poster’s continued support and generosity is the reason the Foundation continues to flourish. The Wilbur scholarship is awarded to Westport officer’s children.
The college applicants must complete community service and have an average grade point average of 3.0. All this year’s applicants successfully met the criteria. The Wilbur Scholarship was granted to the following students: Zoe Koskinas, Samuel and Jonathan Wolf, Madison Hayes and Gabrielle Hayes, Brandon Smith, Ava Wooldridge, Olivia and Grace Biagiotti, Sara Sabin, Samantha Sabin, and Joseph Sabin, Meghan Velky, Jaden Aliberti, Emma and Jacqueline Kelley, Alexis Broderick, April Nowinski and Edward Nowinski and Zachary Benson. In addition, the Foundation awards the Deputy Chief John Anastasia and the Chief Bill Stefan Scholarships to a Staples senior who is entering college in the fall with focused studies on law or a law enforcement related field. The scholarships acknowledge both community relations and athletic accomplishments. This year, Kervin Joseph, was awarded the Deputy Chief John Anastasia Scholarship and Juan Nieves, Jr., was awarded the Chief Bill Stefan Scholarship.
All recipients received a scholarship in the amount of $2,000.00. The Westport PBA Scholarship Foundation wishes to congratulate and commend these students for their dedication to community engagement and their academic accomplishments.
Report of a fire at 550 Main Street in Stratford potentially due to a transformer malfunction. Firefighters on scene have extinguished the fire on the roof, and are currently looking for extensions.
The Stratford Library returns with its popular film series through 2024. The series offers free showings of recent, popular films shown uncut and on widescreen each month.
LOVELL ROOM 12 PM INFORMATION: 203.385.4162
MAESTRO June 10 Bradley Cooper directs, co-writes and stars as Leonard Bernstein in this powerful biopic about the legendary conductor’s complicated relationship with his wife, Felicia (Carey Mulligan). R, 129 minutes DUNE, PART 2 June 24 Visually thrilling and narratively epic, Dune: Part Two continues Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the beloved sci-fi series in spectacular form. PG-13, 166 minutes
THE COLOR PURPLE July 15 A story of love and resilience based on the novel and the Broadway musical, THE COLOR PURPLE is a decades- spanning tale of one woman’s journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. PG-13, 141 minutes CIVIL WAR July 29 A stunning journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House. R, 109 minutes GODZILLA X KONG August 12 This latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla. PG-13, 115 minutes MEAN GIRLS August 26 Preserving the essence of the original while adding a few new wrinkles — not to mention musical numbers — Mean Girls is a sweet (if slight) update with an outstanding cast. PG-13, 112 minutes.
In November 2023, the Special Victims Unit received a complaint regarding an incident of elderly abuse at Fairfield Family Care Center in Norwalk. Detectives discovered that an elderly male had been left unattended and injured after falling out of his bed during the overnight hours. Through evidence collection and witness interviews, detectives determined that Lydia Lungile, the aide responsible for the individual’s care, had ignored the victim. As a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Lungile. Special Victims Unit Detectives collaborated with a Norwalk Police Officer assigned to the United States Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force to locate and arrest Lungile. On May 22, 2024, Norwalk Special Services Division Officers found Lungile in Orange, CT, and took her into custody. Lydia Lungile was charged with Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree and Cruelty to Persons
The 2024 Memorial Day Parade will be taking place this coming Monday, May 27, 2024. To ensure a safe event for both participants and spectators, there will be several road closures from approximately 8:30am-11:00am.
The following roads will be affected by this road closure: Riverside Ave between Treadwell and Post Rd Post Rd between Sylvan Rd and Compo Rd N Wilton Rd between Kings Hwy N and Post Rd Myrtle Ave between Post Rd E and Myrtle Ave Motorists should expect significant delays and should avoid the area during the time of the parade. Once the roads are re-opened, motorists are reminded to use caution while traveling through downtown Westport as there will be significant pedestrian traffic.
