The Rowayton Memorial Day Parade will be on Sunday, May 25, 2025, from 12:00–1:30 PM. The following streets will be closed during this time:
Highland Avenue from Wilson Avenue to McKinley Street
McKinley Street from Highland Avenue to Rowayton Avenue
Rowayton Avenue from McKinley Street to Witch Lane
Route 136 will be detoured from Rowayton Avenue onto Witch Lane to Crest Road to Wilson Avenue. This will be the same route, in reverse, for motorists traveling from Wilson Avenue. Motorists are encouraged to avoid this area during the parade.
Witnesses reported hearing approximately ten gunshots on Cedar Street, located off East Main Street. Two individuals were reportedly struck by the gunfire. No further details have been released at this time.
Bridgeport Firefighters were called to rescue 3 people on the breakwater at Seaside Park. Firefighters have deployed their rescue Uber boat to get them back to land.
Shelton Police, working with multiple agencies, arrested 20-year-old Jonathan Damato of Shelton on May 21, 2025, in connection with a series of stolen vehicle cases and local street takeovers. Investigators previously found stolen vehicles at and near his residence and identified Damato as an organizer of recent street takeover events. He was located hiding in a crawl space during the execution of a search warrant and taken into custody.
Damato was charged with two counts of larceny of a motor vehicle and interfering with a search. His bond was set at $150,500, and he was scheduled to be arraigned at Derby Superior Court on May 22, 2025. Additionally, 19-year-old Camilia Melendez of North Haven was charged with interfering with a search. She was released on a $500 bond and is due in court on June 10, 2025.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that letters are being mailed this week to more than 100,000 Connecticut residents notifying them that some or all of their medical debt has been eliminated under the second round of an initiative his administration launched last year through a partnership with the nonprofit organization Undue Medical Debt.
Under the partnership, Undue Medical Debt is leveraging investments from the state to negotiate with hospitals and other providers on the elimination of large, bundled portfolios of qualifying medical debt owed by Connecticut patients. Those who qualify must have income at or below four times (400%) the federal poverty level or have medical debt that is 5% or more of their income. (The current federal poverty level is an annual income at or below $32,150 for a family of four.) Since these medical debts are acquired in bulk and belong to those least able to pay, they cost a fraction of their face value, often pennies on the dollar.
In this second round, the state invested $575,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, and Undue Medical Debt was able to negotiate with a secondary market partner to acquire and eliminate more than $100 million in qualifying medical debt. The first round occurred in December and saw the elimination of approximately $30 million in medical debt for 23,000 of the state’s residents.
Those who have been identified for relief will receive a branded envelope and letter from Undue Medical Debt in the mail over the next several days. (To view a sample of what this letter looks like, click here.)
“Medical debt causes additional anxiety and stress when individuals and families are coping with potentially life-threatening health situations,” Governor Lamont said. “Over the next few days, more than 100,000 Connecticut residents who have been struggling to pay their medical bills will feel relief when they receive letters in the mail notifying them that their debt has been erased. I am hopeful that additional medical partners will soon sign onto this program to help more Connecticut families through further rounds of this initiative.”
“I’m very grateful for the State of Connecticut’s continued partnership in providing medical debt relief to its residents,” Allison Sesso, CEO and president of Undue Medical Debt, said. “The erasure of these debts of necessity wouldn’t be possible without community-minded leaders like Governor Lamont and his team, who believe medical debt should not be a hindrance to seeking needed care. We look forward to continuing our work in the state so families can seek healthcare with dignity.”
“Medical debt can be a crippling burden on patients, especially those who are already struggling to make ends meet,” State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey, co-chair of the legislature’s Public Health Committee, said. “Erasing medical debt for an additional 100,000 residents will greatly ease the stress they are facing and will free them up to focus on their health and well-being. Thank you to Governor Lamont and Undue Medical Debt for their leadership on this innovative program.”
Because this debt erasure occurs through the purchase of large, qualifying bundled portfolios of debt from participating partners like hospitals and collection agencies, there is no application process for this relief and it cannot be requested.
Governor Lamont intends to continue partnering with Undue Medical Debt to enact further rounds of medical debt cancellation. The governor and the Connecticut General Assembly enacted legislation that makes $6.5 million in ARPA funding available for this initiative.
Firefighters were called to Massimo Pizza at 100 Boston Avenue for a report of smoke in the ceiling. Firefighters were able to trace the problem to the utility pole outside, behind the plaza. It affected a number of businesses in the busy plaza.
On May 20, 2025, Norwalk Police stopped a vehicle near Cudlipp Street and Jacob Street and found the driver, Charles Razor, had a suspended license. Passenger Darius McGee was carrying a loaded Glock 45 with an extended magazine, and a search of the vehicle uncovered another loaded handgun with a defaced serial number, suspected narcotics, and unidentified pills. None of the occupants had a valid pistol permit, and all were taken into custody without incident.
Charles Razor, 26, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Weapons in a Motor Vehicle, Alteration of a Serial Number, Operating Under Suspension, and Possession of Narcotics. His bond was set at $250,000, and he is scheduled to appear in court on June 3, 2025.
Darius McGee, 23, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Weapons in a Motor Vehicle, Illegal Sale/Purchase of a High-Capacity Magazine, and Possession of Narcotics. His bond was set at $200,000, with a court date of June 3, 2025.
Dasiah Darielle McGee, 23, was charged with Weapons in a Motor Vehicle. Her bond was set at $10,000, and she is also due in court on June 3, 2025.
On May 15, 2025, Roger Pratt, age 36, of Naugatuck was arrested by warrant for Possession of Child Sex Abuse Material First Degree. Pratt was arraigned in Derby Superior Court and held on a court set bond of $75,000.00.
Roger Pratt’s arrest was the result of an investigation that began when he was accused of going online and attempting to meet an underage girl. A group of private citizens that uses social media to identify possible child predators engaged in conversations with Pratt and then confronted him in Ansonia. While the actions of the group to identify and expose child predators is commendable the Ansonia Police Department does not recommend private citizens confront someone they suspect, but rather reach out to the law enforcement agency where the suspect resides to report their suspicions.
All arrestees are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Fairfield Bellarmine celebrated its first graduating class, highlighting strong academic outcomes and the program’s role in expanding access to Jesuit education.
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (May 17, 2025) — As part of Fairfield University’s 75th Commencement exercises, the inaugural Fairfield Bellarmine Class of 2025 received their associate’s degrees in a momentous ceremony held on May 15 at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. This event celebrated a milestone in Fairfield’s ongoing mission to broaden access to Jesuit Catholic higher education.
The 35 graduates are the first to complete Fairfield Bellarmine’s rigorous two-year program, which launched in 2023 in partnership with the Diocese of Bridgeport. The initiative was created to serve underrepresented students in the Greater Bridgeport area, offering associate’s degrees in business, computer science, health studies, and liberal studies—alongside a comprehensive support system of academic, financial, and personal development resources.
Fairfield Bellarmine’s innovative model is already yielding exceptional outcomes, with an 80% two-year graduation rate—exceeding Connecticut’s community college three-year graduation rate, which remains below 20%. Approximately 90% of the graduates plan to continue their studies toward a bachelor’s degree at Fairfield University.
During the ceremony, students were recognized for academic achievement, leadership, and service:
Ana Catalina Aguirre and Jaheim Kash-Wayne McKie were recognized as recipients of the inaugural Romero Award for exemplifying the values of a Catholic, Jesuit education.
Francisco G. Martinez earned the Kay Pierce Award for dedication to community service and academic achievement.
Catherine Erol and Trinity Santiago were awarded the Bellarmine Medal for maintaining the highest academic averages in the graduating class.
Student speaker Scarllet E. Lopez reflected on the support and encouragement she and her classmates received from faculty and staff throughout their time at Fairfield Bellarmine.
“What we experienced here wasn’t just academic learning. The professors and the Bellarmine staff made sure our time here was about more,” Lopez said. “They pushed us to be better. They believed in us even when we didn’t believe in ourselves. They encouraged us when we felt overwhelmed… They reminded us that we were capable of more than we ever imagined.”
Lopez added:
“We are Cohort 1. The very first class of Bellarmine… We set the standard. And I know deep in my heart that the path we walked will open doors for others—students who once doubted if college was for them, who just needed one more chance to believe they belonged.”
In his remarks, Fairfield Bellarmine Vice Provost and Executive Director Rev. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., recalled a powerful question asked by a student during an early campus visit:
“Before the first day of classes of your first fall semester, we invited you to campus to see the newly renovated buildings. When we got to St. Ambrose Hall, and the Bank of America study lounge, with its vaulted ceilings and stained glass, one of you paused and asked me: ‘Is this all for us?’ ‘Yes, all for you,’ I replied.”
He reflected on how that simple question grew in meaning over time:
“‘Is this all for us?’ Yes, Fairfield Bellarmine is for you, because you are a child of God, worthy of an education rooted in excellence that forms the mind, heart and spirit… This is for you, because you have remarkable gifts, talents and beauty.”
Fr. O’Brien praised the graduating class for their lasting contributions, recognizing their role in shaping Bellarmine’s future:
“Before you arrived, we spent three years planning and laying a foundation. And you trusted us and our vision to come here, to expand access and opportunity in Jesuit higher education. Then, you helped us create what Fairfield Bellarmine is all about… You helped us shape the experience for the next class and beyond.”
He concluded by urging the graduates to embrace their deeper purpose:
“Your diploma… means little unless it is a summons to service. In this way, you are messengers of hope.”
To watch a recorded livestream of the event, please visit: 🔗 https://vimeo.com/1073317705 Photos from the ceremony are available for download here.
