CT Today With Paul Pacelli - Yes, Race Is A Factor
Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli talked about a growing debate over the reasons for Caitlin Clark's anticipated influence in the WNBA (00:29). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio stopped by with further commentary on a controversial bill passed as the General Assembly wrapped up this year's session (11:58). We also checked in with State Senate GOP leader Steve Harding ...
32m May 14, 2024
32m
Melissa in the Morning: Success Village Fail
For about a week now, Melissa has been inundated with calls from WICC listeners who live in Success Village. This is a 900+ unit apartment complex with aging boilers impacting heat and hot water. Residents have reported having no hot water for 10 days despite news outlets reporting the problem would be resolved earlier this week. We talked about the problem with Mayor Joe Ganim at length and go...
14m May 15, 2024
14m
Melissa in the Morning: The Northern Lights in Connecticut
Earlier this month, a super rare geomagnetic storm happened making the Aurora visible even here in Connecticut! David Mestre of Science You May Not Know talked about the May 10th Northern Lights event seen across the northeast. We also compared it to the "Carrington Event" of September 1 to 2, 1859 when the Aurora was so intense that it could be seen as far South as Havana, Cuba. PHOTO CREDIT:...
14m May 15, 2024
14m
Melissa in the Morning: Consumer Protection Legislation
We had our monthly check-in with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli gave us some legislative updates impacting businesses and consumers in the state following the 2024 legislative session. He spoke about THC-infused beverages, House Bill 5236 concerning professional licensing, and improvements on the “pharmacy experience.” PHOTO CREDIT: Kaitlyn Kra...
18m May 15, 2024
18m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - The Debates Are On ... ?
Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" with Paul Pacelli discussed news of two debates tentatively scheduled between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump (00:20). Hearst Connecticut Media editor and columnist Dan Haar dropped by for his regular update on the biggest stories around Connecticut (13:29) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus
24m May 15, 2024
24m
Melissa in the Morning: Online Crime Map
Bridgeport has officially rolled out a new interactive crime map for residents to keep track of crime statistics in and around their neighborhoods. We spoke with Police Chief Roderick Porter about the LexisNexis technology, how it works, and why he feels it needed to be a priority for city residents. To view that map, click on this website and zoom into Bridgeport: https://communitycrimemap.co...
14m May 16, 2024
14m
Melissa in the Morning: Healthcare Takeaways
We continue to look at the aftermath of the 2024 legislative session; this time we focused on healthcare legislation. Senator Jeff Gordon talked about the ongoing drama surrounding Prospect Medical Holdings impacting three Connecticut hospitals and a call from the governor for lawmakers to return to the table. We also discussed the big winner: Senate Bill 1 addressing homecare worker safety and...
15m May 16, 2024
15m
Melissa in the Morning: Childcare Crisis
We are living in a childcare crisis in Connecticut and across the country. There are not enough reputable, affordable centers and our staffing levels are too low, mostly because we can’t pay them. Compound that with a new state law changing the kindergarten age requirement in the fall; families and school districts are scrambling! Does the federal government need to step in more at this point t...
12m May 16, 2024
12m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - Connecticut's House Members Vote On An Immigration Bill
We had a busy Thursday on "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli updating listeners on how the state's U.S. House delegation voted on a key immigration bill (00:28). "Only In Bridgeport" blogger Lennie Grimaldi stopped by to talk about the coming November battle for the 22nd State Senate District (13:31). Connecticut Inside Investigator reporter Marc Fitch talked about how some of the state...
34m May 16, 2024
34m
Melissa in the Morning: “Not Very Nice to K-12”
We continue addressing the early childcare crisis in Connecticut. According to state data, we still have about 4,000 staffing vacancies for early childhood, a waitlist of more than 1,500 kids needing Care 4 Kids and school districts are juggling families trying to test their kids into Kindergarten despite not being five years old by September 1st. So, what can be done in the next 3 months befor...
19m May 17, 2024
19m
Melissa in the Morning: A Child’s Garden
I think we hit a record high for listener inquiries regarding the same topic: no lease renewal for a longstanding early childcare center in Fairfield. We learned the lease for A Child’s Garden is being extended one more year before closing after 43 years in the Mona Terrace space. We asked First Selectman Bill Gerber why this decision was made, was this an abrupt decision and what will now go i...
23m May 17, 2024
23m
Melissa in the Morning: Olympians in CT
For the first time in American history, an American gymnastics competition is expected to see three U.S. Olympic All-Around Gold medalists (Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee) compete head-to-head. Two sessions will be held in Hartford. We spoke with General Manager of the XL Center, Ben Weiss, about the event, what went into bringing it here and what the event means for Connecticut. I...
10m May 17, 2024
10m
Melissa in the Morning: Trumbull Playground Project
The Trumbull Early Childhood Education Center Parent Teacher Organization announced a major funding award of $10,000 from the Rotary Club of Trumbull to the TECEC PTO in support of their multi-year initiative to fund and replace the playground at the school. We spoke with Kayla Seeley, president of the TECEC PTO and Rotary Club of Trumbull President, Susan Stonoha about the project and who is b...
13m May 17, 2024
13m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - Should We Care What A Celebrity Says?
Host Paul Pacelli wrapped up another week on "Connecticut Today" with a look at the controversy over comments made at a recent commencement ceremony by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker (00:29). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso dropped by with his weekly wrap-up (13:31), while Westport Masonic Lodge No. 65 Master Richard Ruggiano talked about a weekend display of Pre...
34m May 17, 2024
34m
Melissa in the Morning: A Child’s Garden Part II
Last week, The Fairfield Board of Education reportedly announced the news about not renewing the lease for A Child’s Garden after one more academic year. The childcare center has been operating on town-owned property for over 40 years and the owners say THEY weren’t even told about the decision. We spoke with Mike Miklus, the owner of ACG, who addressed what he says are misleading story lines f...
19m May 20, 2024
19m
Melissa in the Morning: More Elder Protection at Home
Governor Ned Lamont is expected to sign a piece of legislation approved during the 2024 session that directly impacts in-home care for seniors. Senator Kevin Kelly is the former co-chair of the legislature’s Aging Committee and an elder law attorney. He co-sponsored the bill giving our aging population more support in the state. IMAGE CREDIT: Adam Liegeot / CT Senate Republicans
15m May 20, 2024
15m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - I'll Take "Hypocrisy" For $1,000
Monday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli looked at the continued controversy surrounding graduation ceremony remarks from Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker earlier in May (00:34). Quinnipiac University Assistant Professor of Film, Television and Media Art and Director of the Graduate Cinematic Production Management Program Blythe Frank talked about her trip with students to t...
35m May 20, 2024
35m
Melissa in the Morning: Check-in with Governor Lamont
We were so excited to have Governor Ned Lamont back on the show to take our latest state questions. We did a quick recap of the 2024 legislative session and asked what he felt were the big wins and loses of the session. We also did a deeper dive into the early childcare crisis in our state. And we mentioned two local stories in our listening area, including the hot water crisis at Success Villa...
15m May 21, 2024
15m
Melissa in the Morning: Recovery from Failing Grades
New data shows about 18% of Bridgeport students are at or above grade level in math. The district scored well below in most subjects in a recent assessment. We wanted to know why there is such a gap, especially when other cities in Fairfield County aren’t struggling in the same way, like Stamford and Norwalk. We had Dr. Carmela Levy-David in studio. She is the superintendent of schools in Bridg...
16m May 21, 2024
16m
Melissa in the Morning: Meet Lisa Hodges
Head Coach Lisa Hodges of Kolbe Cathedral High School Girls Basketball was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) Hall of Fame. We got to know her history that led her to this role, her reaction to this honor and her message for young girls across Connecticut. IMAGE CREDIT: Rowena White / Dinormous
13m May 21, 2024
13m
Melissa in the Morning: Record Breaking Travel
Pack your patience this weekend. AAA projects 43.8 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. This year’s total number of travelers constitutes a 4% increase over last year and exceeds pre-pandemic levels for the first time. We asked Alec Slatky from AAA about the new projections and what it means for Connecticut travelers ahead of Memorial Day...
17m May 21, 2024
17m
Melissa in the Morning: The Message to College Grads
Pandemic-era college kids are facing a job market that doesn't want them. Most college grads are ready to enter the “real world” yet are being forced to adjust expectations. Even the best of students are facing an endless web of job applications, ambiguous timelines and countless rejections. But how true is that? Julie Bauke weighs in on the Bloomberg study and how college grads should prepare ...
13m May 21, 2024
13m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - A Key Election Law Ruling
Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli featured a chat with former Southington GOP State Sen. Joe Markley on his win in an election law case that made its way to the state Connecticut Supreme Court (00:30). State Senate GOP Leader Steve Harding talked about a proposed change in the state's contracting laws (10:51) connected to a case that Paul also had some thoughts on (18:46). Ya...
43m May 21, 2024
43m
Melissa in the Morning: National EMS Week
This week, we honor our EMS workers! In recent years, we have struggled to fill EMS positions in our state, including in Easton. We spoke with Chief of Service and Vice President for Easton EMS, Jon Arnold, about methods they’ve used to attract and retain workers, training opportunities, ideal candidates to join the team and updates on a new department building. IMAGE CREDIT: Jon Arnold / East...
14m May 22, 2024
14m
Melissa in the Morning: Pageant Queens & Mental Health
Some major national news broke this month when Miss USA and Miss Teen USA resigned from their positions within days of one another. We learned mental health played a huge role in the unexpected announcements. And during Mental Health Awareness Month this month compounded with the pageant news, we thought it was great timing to have our Miss Connecticut on the show. Gina Carloto shared insight a...
17m May 22, 2024
17m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - More and More People are Getting High
Wednesday's midweek edition of "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli looked at new numbers highlighting regular marijuana use in the U.S. (00:19). Hearst Connecticut Media senior editor and columnist Dan Haar dropped by to talk about the hottest stories around the state (13:14) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus
21m May 22, 2024
21m
Melissa in the Morning: Support Local this Memorial Day Weekend
This week, the pizza makers from Pepe's Modern, Sally's and many other area favorites boarded a charter Avelo flight to Washington DC to declare New Haven as the pizza capital of the U.S. It comes one week after the state launched a new marketing plan to highlight our state’s oyster industry (CT Oyster Trail.) We thought it was a great time to check in with Scott Dolch, President and CEO of Con...
18m May 23, 2024
18m
Melissa in the Morning: Hurricane Season Prep
Expert weather forecasters are projecting a significant number of dangerous storms this year. The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season is predicted to bring 24 named storms, 11 of which could become hurricanes, and six of which could reach Category 3 or stronger. This is far beyond the 30-year average and notably above the storms we had in 2023. That’s why a panel discussion was hosted in Fairfield a...
15m May 23, 2024
15m
Melissa in the Morning: Skin Cancer Awareness Month
According to national data, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Skin cancer is still the most common cancer in the US and worldwide. And ahead of the summer season with more people exposed to the sun, May is skin cancer awareness month. We spoke with Hartford HealthCare’s Dr. Jill Rubinstein, a skin cancer specialist, about the latest treatments and research findings. We...
14m May 23, 2024
14m
Melissa in the Morning: Nightmares and Lupus?
A new study suggests vivid nightmares could be an early indicator of an autoimmune disease like lupus. Researchers at the University of Cambridge and King's College London found there was a link between nightmares and the onset of hallucinations in some lupus patients. The researchers found over 60-percent of lupus patients in their survey who experienced hallucinations reported having nightmar...
14m May 23, 2024
14m
Melissa in the Morning: Boater Safety Week
The most recent data from the US Coast Guard shows more than four thousand boat accidents in America during the 2022 calendar year. Those incidents reportedly involved 636 deaths, thousands of injuries and tens of millions of dollars in damages. This week is National Boater Safety Week and we wanted to talk about the basics for boating safety. Scott Appleby, Director of Emergency Management in ...
17m May 23, 2024
17m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - Please ... Calm Down
Host Paul Pacelli kicked-off a busy Thursday edition of "Connecticut Today" urging people to "pump the brakes" on a controversy surrounding flags and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito (00:29). "Only In Bridgeport" blogger Lennie Grimaldi looked again at the biggest news in and around the Park City (12:21), while columnist Chris Powell had some thoughts on the biggest stories around Connecticut...
32m May 23, 2024
32m
Melissa in the Morning: Red Pandas
The Beardsley Zoo is welcoming a new furry face to the campus. 10-month-old Dorji joins 14-year-old Berry in the Natt Family Red Panda habitat. We found out about Dorji's story and how he ended up at Connecticut's only zoo. IMAGE CREDIT: Jack Bradley
7m May 24, 2024
7m
Melissa in the Morning: Connecticut Beach Report
A new report looks at the health of our beaches along Long Island Sound. According to Sound Health Explorer, which conducted the study, the analysis shows how Sound beaches rank when measured against the criteria for safe swimming and indicates how wet or dry weather influences these conditions. Sound Health Explorer is a project of Save the Sound. We spoke with Bill Lucey, Long Island Soundkee...
15m May 24, 2024
15m
Melissa in the Morning: Tackling Anti-Semitism at School
Earlier this month, a swastika was found and removed from a high school girls’ locker room in Fairfield. It’s the latest report of antisemitic acts made on school campuses in Connecticut. We spoke with the Anti-Defamation League in Connecticut to talk about reports of hate incidents, why there’s been such an uptick of incidents from young kids and the impact on classmates. ADL Connecticut Regio...
15m May 24, 2024
15m
Melissa in the Morning: Troopers during Memorial Day Weekend
We have had a rough go in recent years when it comes to safety on our highways during Memorial Day weekend. When you look at the statistics from 2022 and 2023, we’ve had a lot of speeding, drinking and driving and reckless driving incidents breaking records in Connecticut. What have troopers done to best monitor our roads and prepare people for the holiday weekend. Sgt. Luke Davis and Trooper F...
15m May 24, 2024
15m
Melissa in the Morning: Five Years Later
Today marks five years since Connecticut mom Jennifer Farber Dulos was reported missing. She is presumed dead but her body was never found. Awarding-winning anchor from WTNH News 8, Dennis House, had the opportunity to do an exclusive interview with Gloria Farber, Jennifer’s mom. He went to her Manhattan home and heard more insight about Jennifer’s story. He joined WICC to share what he’s learn...
16m May 24, 2024
16m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - What Are They So Afraid Of?
Thursday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli opened with Paul wondering why there's such a divergent message coming from many lawmakers in D.C. regarding the current Israel-Hamas War (00:30). Credit expert Paul Oster joined us to chat about the increasing use of "point-of-sale" loans by many retailers (13:11). Former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso stopped by with his wee...
36m May 24, 2024
36m
Melissa in the Morning: Attacking Anti-Semitism at K-12 Campuses
Earlier this month, superintendents from across the country testified on antisemitism to Congress. With this testimony, the spotlight is now on what role, if any, superintendents play in addressing antisemitism in schools. Also, how can superintendents work with K-12 stakeholders to address antisemitism? We spoke with the Institute for Education Innovation (IEI) Founder and CEO, Doug Roberts, a...
15m May 28, 2024
15m
Melissa in the Morning: Sun Exposure
We saw it over Memorial Day weekend, more and more people went outside getting exposed to the sun. Unfortunately, most people hear the messages about sun exposure damage but don’t acknowledge the importance of sunscreen. We welcomed Dr. Jim Clune, Melanoma Surgeon at Smilow Cancer Hospital (member of Yale Cancer Center) to the show. He tackled this subject and debunked some thoughts around suns...
16m May 28, 2024
16m
Melissa in the Morning: Connecticut Farm Numbers
According to recent Census data, the number of farms in Connecticut is slowly shrinking. Farmers have cited a labor shortage, especially when it comes to young people in the profession, as a reason for the dwindling numbers. We asked the Department of Agriculture Commissioner, Bryan Hurlburt, about the findings. We also got a better idea of how important the farming industry is in our state and...
19m May 28, 2024
19m
Melissa in the Morning: Four-Day Work Week
Wellness company, Exos, launched a four-day work week pilot program last year and decided to keep it after fantastic results six months later. Many want to know why more companies don’t adopt four-day work week models. But the bigger question should be: why don’t managers trust their team more to try new programs? We looked at a recent article and talked about it in length with career strategis...
14m May 28, 2024
14m
Melissa in the Morning: How to Tackle Fear
An estimated 19 million Americans have at least one phobia, and studies show phobias illustrate the negative effects can have on people’s mental and physical health. So, how do we overcome fear and prevent it from crippling our lives? It’s not easy, but counselor, Julius Dudics says the best way to overcome fear is giving up control. But how do you give up control to a God that you don’t believ...
17m May 28, 2024
17m
Melissa in the Morning: Police Recruitment
Police departments across the country are desperately looking for officers. Recruitment and retainment have been major challenges, especially since the pandemic, for departments across Connecticut, including the Park City. Bridgeport Police are offering something no other department in the state is during the month of June. We spoke with Lt. Angelo Collazo about conditioning camp happening ever...
16m May 28, 2024
16m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - Where's That Veto?
Host Paul Pacelli welcomed Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio on Tuesday's edition of "Connecticut Today" to chat about a controversial labor bill that Governor Ned Lamont has promised to veto (00:21). Paul also opened the show talking about the latest gun violence in Bridgeport (11:23) Image Credit: REUTERS
24m May 28, 2024
24m
Melissa in the Morning: Food Insecurity in CT
According to estimates from Feeding America, more than 460,000 (1 in 8) Connecticut residents struggle with hunger. At a closer look at the recent data, more than 112,000 children are considered food insecure in our state. We spoke with Jason Jakubowski, President and CEO Connecticut Foodshare, about the updated data and resources available for kids who rely on school meals but now don’t have t...
16m May 29, 2024
16m
Melissa in the Morning: The Sterling Opera House
Earlier this month, a Connecticut treasure was highlighted on a national platform. The Sterling Opera House in Derby was Connecticut’s first building listed on the National Register of Historical Places (https://portal.ct.gov/decd/content/historic-preservation/01_programs_services/historic-designations/state-registry-of-historic-places) and it was at the center of a Discovery Channel episode. W...
16m May 29, 2024
16m
CT Today With Paul Pacelli - Waiting For A Trump Trial Verdict
Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli talked about possible verdicts and a timeline for former President Donald Trump's "hush money" trial in New York City (00:20). We also heard from Hearst Connecticut Media senior editor and columnist Dan Haar about the biggest state stories (13:02) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus
24m May 29, 2024
24m
Melissa in the Morning: Bird Flu Woes
The Bird flu has been found in alpacas for the first time. The Department of Agriculture says it's the latest spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus. It's the latest worry around a bird flu outbreak nationwide. We talked to Dr. Browne about the news and how bird flu has a trickle down impact on prices of popular food items, like eggs. We also discussed a news story in Georgia that can impact Connect...
15m May 30, 2024
15m
Melissa in the Morning: More Inclusive Camps
Finding a camp that has a focus on children with different abilities can be hard to find. But Girl Scouts of Connecticut has made some major upgrades to one of its camps, offering girls of all ages and abilities more outdoor adventures this upcoming summer season! Camp An-Se-Ox in Oxford is unveiling the new work breaking barriers this summer during an official ribbon cutting ceremony this Sund...
8m May 30, 2024
8m