News

EZDriveMA scammers taking a toll

For those who have an EZDriveMA pass and believe they have received a text from the organization, do not click on it. This is part of a scam involving texts the FBI has been monitoring since last year, when the bureau received more than 2,000 complaints from drivers who received texts claiming the recipient owes […]

Waterbury police find explosive materials days after fatal blast

WATERBURY – Local, state and federal law enforcement officials combed through a storage container Friday as part of an investigation into an explosion at 220 Horseshoe Drive last Sunday that killed a 56-year-old man. Waterbury and state police, along with federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents, were cataloging items found inside the container on Wightman […]

Hurley wants to see Huskies play tougher

STORRS – While some college programs may look at a bye week during the season as a chance to give the players a break from the grind, UConn men’s basketball Coach Dan Hurley sees it a little differently. “For the most part for us it is trying to get the defense right,” Hurley said. “It […]

Region 20 taps 1st CFO

LITCHFIELD – The Region 20 Board of Education has hired its first chief financial officer to manage the new school district’s budget and handle responsibilities in the areas of facilities, food service, information technology, general operations and transportation. Julia Cardillo of Winsted, fiscal manager for the Barkhamsted Board of Education for the past two years, […]

Sharon PZC to hear plan for condo complex

SHARON – A Planning and Zoning Commission hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. for a special permit and site plan review of a proposed 24-unit condominium complex at 82 Amenia Road and 67 Hospital Hill Road. The plan was submitted by Betsy Jenks-Palmer of Gold Dog. The two parcels, which are […]

Why hobble the presidency?

Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s effort to convict and perhaps even imprison Donald Trump on federal charges came to naught when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark presidential-immunity decision last July 1. The court determined Mr. Trump was immune from federal charges over his attempts, on the last days of his presidency, to reverse the […]

Roosevelt’s CCC is an example of how to rebuild USA

We watched on the news about the tragic fires in California. Families have lost their homes and their belongings, and many just have the clothes on their backs. The saddest part is that fires cannot be completely prevented. The amount of devastation could have been reduced through controlled burns, proper forest management, proper funding and […]

Alec A. Vlahos Jr.

CHESHIRE – Alec A. “Butch” Vlahos Jr., 78, of Cheshire, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, at his home surrounded by his loving family. He was the loving husband of Dawna R. (Horton) Vlahos. Born Alec A. Sakallarakis Jr. on Sept. 30, 1946, in Lynn, Mass., he was the son of the late Alec […]

Darlas Bascetta

TORRINGTON – Darlas “Dee” (Garman) Bascetta, of Torrington, died on Jan. 16, 2025, at her home. The beloved wife of David Bascetta, she was 72 years old. Private funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Cook Funeral Home. Please visit cookfuneralhomect.com to read a complete obituary or to send condolences to Dee’s family.

Naugatuck students get hands-on experience in the trades

NAUGATUCK – As construction work progresses on infrastructure, mixed-use residential and revitalization projects in town, school officials are giving students a hands-on pathway toward a career in construction and trades after graduation. Naugatuck High School offers several courses under its applied education programs, such as “Intro to Construction,” “Construction 1,” “Construction Certifications” and “Building Trades […]

Region 16 looking at repairs to Woodland High’s roof

BEACON FALLS – Region 16 school district officials are forming a building committee to repair Woodland Regional High School’s roof and HVAC system, and consider solar panels on the roof. The Region 16 Board of Education, which serves students in Prospect and Beacon Falls, last month approved establishing an ad hoc committee to make recommendations […]

‘Everybody goes on there …’ TikTok users react to Supreme Court’s decision to uphold ban

SOUTHBURY – A U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday to uphold a ban on TikTok brought home the fact that the popular app could disappear from cellphones nationwide beginning this weekend. Locally, teens reacted to the possibility that the Chinese-owned TikTok app was on the verge of being shut off. “I go on TikTok all the […]

Amazon project clears major hurdle in Waterbury

WATERBURY — Plans for a multistory Amazon distribution center on the Waterbury-Naugatuck line cleared a major hurdle Friday with the city of Waterbury issuing a zoning permit for the project expected to create 1,000 jobs in the area.   Now both cities have approved zoning permits for the distribution center, leading to the next steps […]

STREAMING: The countdown is on to the Oscar nominations, coming Jan. 23

Waterbury man facing drug charges after traffic stop

WATERBURY — A city man is facing drug charges after police arrested him following a traffic stop on Baldwin Street, according to a news release from police. Vincent Simmons, 26, was arrested following a vehicle stop that led to the discovery of significant quantities of narcotics and damage to two police cruisers, according to the […]

Who’s in for supporting actor, actress?

Note: The nominations for this year’s Academy Awards have been pushed back twice because of the wildfires in Los Angeles. They are now scheduled to be announced on Jan. 23. The awards ceremony is still scheduled for March 2. Here’s a walkup to possible nominations in the “best supporting” category. A month before our December […]

The unusual has become routine

My California friend is trying to reassure me. She lives in Ventura County, just north of the infernos turning swaths of Los Angeles into smoldering ruins. “We’re 30 miles away!” she texts perkily. This does not mollify me. “Get out,” I text back. “We have a plan,” she replies. The scene looks apocalyptic and unrelenting. […]

Bold as Brass: Griffin launches periodical devoted to highlighting the storied past of Waterbury

Waterbury is a city of stories. It’s a place of scandal and legend, myths and misperceptions and a lore sprinkled with fable and part fact. For Mike Griffin, it is a gold mine of opportunity. Griffin, a longtime resident of the city and author of two books about it, believes the Brass City is a […]

A (book) case of serendipity: Plymouth couple makes perfect use of former library

PLYMOUTH — The former home of the Plymouth Library at 692 Main St. is still a place for books. A book store, Books and Art on Main, has found its new home. The owners, Robert and Suzanne Schwalb, said it took a few years to find a space that fit their business. The store originally […]

Biden says the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered ratified

ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered a ratified addition to the U.S. Constitution, making a symbolic statement that’s unlikely to alter a decades-long push for gender equality. “It is long past time to recognize the will of the American people,” Biden said. “In keeping […]

Waterbury police blotter

WATERBURY Waterbury police recently filed the following charges: DAISEY LOPEZ, 52, of 13 Cherry Ave., second-degree harassment. ASHLEY MARS, 33, of 268 Birchfield Drive, third-degree assault, third-degree strangulation/suffocation. ISAIAH CARPENTER, 23, of 46 Jewelry St., second-degree reckless endangerment, risk of injury to child, negligent storage of firearm, second-degree reckless endangerment. MELVIN MENDEZ, 33, of 123 […]

Republican Zulpa eyes Woodbury’s first selectman seat

WOODBURY – Republican Paul Zulpa, a Board of Finance member, plans to run for first selectman, setting up a possible matchup against fellow party member Barbara K. Perkinson, a six-year incumbent. Zulpa, 67, announced his plan during last week’s Republican Town Committee meeting. The first selectman’s seat is up for election in November, though any […]

Judge seeking more evidence: Hospital age-discrimination case will get hearing

WATERBURY – A federal judge Wednesday ordered an evidentiary hearing to determine the validity of an arbitration agreement at the center of a former Waterbury Hospital executive’s lawsuit claiming age discrimination. The decision by Judge Alvin W. Thompson was in response to a motion filed by the owner of Waterbury Hospital and its former president, […]

O&G donates $10K toward new A/V system at Woodbury senior center

WOODBURY — A new audio-visual system being installed at Woodbury Senior Community Center is made possible in part due to a $10,000 donation from O&G Industries of Torrington, continuing the company’s history of supporting the facility. Sharon Sherman of the nonprofit Friends of Woodbury Senior Community Center noted O&G made a $35,000 donation to the […]

Kristi Noem, Trump’s homeland security pick, faces pointed scrutiny on immigration from senators

ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency central to his vision of cracking down on illegal immigration, faced senators Friday at confirmation hearing that will be her first chance to lay out her vision for the sprawling Department of Homeland Security. Noem, a two-term governor and […]

Senate advances a migrant detention bill that could be Trump’s first law to sign

ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — The Senate is heading toward a final vote on legislation that would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes and give states power to challenge federal immigration policies, setting a new tone on immigration as Donald Trump enters the White House. Newly in the majority, Senate […]

Efforts to stockpile mifepristone in CT have stalled

By Katy Golvala | ctmirror.org Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration has rejected proposals that would have allowed Connecticut to stockpile mifepristone, a drug used to end pregnancies, according to a state legislator. A handful of states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, have either begun — or intend to begin — stockpiling mifepristone to facilitate access to […]

TikTok could be banned in days. What to know and how to prepare

ASSOCIATED PRESS TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news. Without a sale to an approved buyer, the platform is expected to vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday now that the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the the ban. The decision […]

GOP balks at Aquarion measure

#<z34>GOP balks at Aquarion measure Byline: @Byline:BY PAUL HUGHES —- @Byline attribution:REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN Body: @Bodytype:HARTFORD [–] Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate clashed in a special session Wednesday over car taxes, school construction oversight and the potential sale of a water company. —- #<t-1>The Senate voted 20-9 along party lines to approve an omnibus bill […]

Bank gives $100K in grants to 7 nonprofits

WATERBURY – Seven local nonprofits received a financial boost Wednesday when Webster Bank handed out a total of $100,000 in grants during a ceremony hosted by recipient Brass City Harvest. Bridge to Success, North End Cooperative Market, Waterbury Opportunity Industrialization Center, RIBA Aspira Career Academy, the Ungroup Society and Waterbury Land Bank were the other […]