Violence Prevention Programs to Receive a Boost from State Grants

By Joe O’Leary

October 31 @ 10:00 am

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Although homicides in Hartford have declined by more than 50% over the last year, according to news reports, public health officials recently announced support for programs working to curb gun violence in Connecticut cities, which experienced post-pandemic increases in violence.

That work on the ground is most often performed by local violence prevention and intervention programs, which help to educate members of the public, build community relationships, and connect at-risk youth with new opportunities and services.

To support these efforts, the Connecticut Department of Public Health recently announced it’s providing grants to these organizations to further their successes in gun violence reduction.

The DPH will provide $200,000 each to 10 organizations operating in Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven, those organizations located in high-risk geographic areas in Connecticut due to their local proximity to gun violence.

The organizations include violence prevention groups that will provide cash aid to people impacted by violence; free classes and workshops to promote positive mental health connections; support services for high school students including school-based mentoring and youth development programming; and community outreach to the public.

Further organizations receiving funds include an environmental scan of Hartford’s violence prevention and intervention services, increased weekend and school holiday support for students and increased focus on mental health and social-emotional learning.

This is the latest part of the state’s Community Gun Violence Prevention Program efforts, which was initially established in 2022. In its 2023 report on the program, the Department of Public Health, which has oversight of the initiative, reported that among its first goals with the program was to develop a surveillance system of firearm homicides in the state.

Statistics show that Black and Hispanic males are significantly more likely to be affected by violence than white men and most violence takes place in six cities – from 2020 to 2023, Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Hamden and Stamford experienced at least 15 homicides.

Such data, combined with emergency department surveillance statistics, was used to find places in the state and demographics most connected to such violence, predominantly found to be urban centers. By investing directly in diversionary programs and efforts, DPH expects to see higher levels of progress.

Violence prevention projects and funding have a positive track record of reducing violence in communities, according to the Center for American Progress, which reported a 63% decline in gun violence in South Bronx, New York and 43% reductions in gun violence in Richmond, California. Baltimore also saw improved results in community violence outcomes through such programs.

Connecticut’s Agricultural Industry Generates Up To $4 Billion A Year

By Joe O’Leary

October 30 @ 10:00 am

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A new analysis of Connecticut’s agricultural industry found that it generates as much as $4 billion annually, around $1,000 per Connecticut resident, and supports up to 31,000 jobs statewide.

The report, a joint effort between the Department of Agriculture, UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and Farm Credit East, underscored the significant impact the agricultural industry has on the state’s economy and systems.

The report delved into information about Connecticut’s farming and growing from 2015 to 2022. It encompassed the industry’s crops, livestock, fisheries and forest production, as well as processing agricultural and seafood production. By studying the industry, the report’s authors were able to reaffirm the importance of agriculture — a sometimes underappreciated sector, despite its historical significance dating back to colonial times.

Despite Connecticut’s small size, 11% of its land is farmland and another 50,000 acres represent leased shellfish beds on the Long Island Sound. Although other New England states are more famous for agricultural output, Connecticut ranks third in the region for farm sales.

From 2015 to 2022, when Connecticut farmers weathered the impact of the pandemic, the industry expanded by 22%, with more than $150 million in additional sales growth. There was significant growth in sales of processed animal products like dairy manufacturing and meat processing, as well as poultry, egg, fruit, vegetable and greenhouse production. Sectors like aquaculture, commercial fishing and milk manufacturing fell during that time. Commercial hunting and trapping, in particular, grew by more than 1,000% during those seven years.

The report detailed concerns that aquaculture and fishing production fell between 2015 and 2022 due to a regional decline in wild-caught fish and clam production, which may be a consequence of climatic conditions. Tobacco sales also fell, representing a national reduction in tobacco consumption related to public health efforts.

The report identified a number of trends including local food becoming more popular in Connecticut and around the country. Meanwhile, the greenhouse industry, ice cream manufacturing and butter manufacturing are likely to continue their growth in coming years. Only tobacco farming seemed poised to continue trending downward in the coming years, with the rest of the industry’s struggling segments having potential for recovery with refocusing.

Connecticut Senate Democratic Leaders Voice Hopes For Early Voting

By Lawrence Cook

October 29 @ 9:30 am

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Buoyed by the popularity of Connecticut’s first-ever early voting law, which has resulted in more than 300,000 early ballots cast in the opening week of its existence, Senate Democratic leadership has asked the Secretary of the State’s Office to help towns in the opening and counting of those early ballots on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Senate President Martin Looney and Majority Leader Bob Duff have written Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas to “be prepared to offer any and all assistance and guidance to local registrars in the quick and accurate tallying of early votes … to ensure that our newly expanded early voting right remains as popular and as effective as we envisioned.”

Connecticut – which lags behind nearly every other American state in expanding voting options – only allowed for early voting beginning this year. Early voting began on Monday, Oct. 21 and will end on Sunday, Nov. 2.

As of 10 a.m. Monday, 315,550 Connecticut residents had voted early, while another 79,000 had voted via absentee ballot. That represents nearly 22% of the approximately 1.8 million Connecticut residents who cast ballots in the 2020 presidential election, with another week of early voting yet to come.

“It is conceivable that thousands of early ballots, if not tens of thousands of early ballots, will have to be opened and counted in each and every Connecticut city and town on Election Day in addition to the myriad critical functions with which our dedicated registrars and public-spirited volunteers are already tasked.,” Looney and Duff said.

Thomas’s office told Hearst CT that was ready to help.

“Every election is an important election and gets the same level of commitment to security, access and preparation effort by our office,” Thomas’s office told Hearst. “Our team will continue this diligent support to help local registrars achieve quick and accurate tallying of early votes, upholding the integrity of the process for all voters,” Thomas’s office said.

The General Assembly approved early voting in 2023 by a vote of 27-7 in the Senate and 107-35 in the House, with Democrats voting unanimously in favor and about half of the Republicans in each chamber voting No.

Governor Declares State of Emergency Due to Fire Conditions

By Michelle Rappaport

October 28 @ 2:00 pm

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Gov. Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency Friday as a result of dry and windy weather conditions, which raised the threat of brush fires as first responders continued to battle a fire at Lamentation Mountain in Berlin and Meriden.

In a press release, Lamont said that two months of dry conditions and minimal rainfall had raised the chances of additional fires, even as crews worked to extinguish flames at Lamentation Mountain.

“The filing of this declaration will help provide state and local emergency management officials with the necessary tools to monitor and limit the threat of potential fires, respond to active fires, and respond to any additional fires that may start,” Lamont said. “We are strongly urging all Connecticut residents to avoid any type of outdoor burning as the current conditions pose a high risk of fire danger.”

Weather forecasts expected the dangerous conditions to persist for at least the next several days. Last week, the National Weather Service issued several fire advisories including a Red Flag Warning advising residents of the fire conditions.

Meanwhile, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued a statewide burn ban on Saturday. The order prohibited firepits, campfires, and outdoor grills at all state parks and forests as a result of the ongoing conditions.

Environmental officials also called on Connecticut residents to be aware that even a small spark can lead to wildfires given the ongoing dry environment. DEEP urged residents to be careful with discarded smoking materials, ATVs and UTVs without spark arresters, and trailers that drag chains, in addition to other equipment that can generate sparks or heat.

“These conditions represent a real and immediate threat to communities across Connecticut,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said in a press release. “We need every resident and visitor to understand that their actions directly impact the safety of their neighbors, firefighters, and natural areas.”

The warnings come as emergency crews battled the Hawthorne Fire, which had been ongoing since Oct. 21, spread over 100 acres, and claimed the life of Wethersfield Volunteer Firefighter Rober Sharkevich Sr., who died in the line of duty while working to extinguish the brush fire.
Lamont ordered flags to half-staff in honor of Sharkevich last week.

“His selfless dedication to public service and the safety of his community and the surrounding towns is nothing less than heroic,” the governor said of Sharkevich. “On behalf of the people of Connecticut, I thank him for the service he has provided to our state, and I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues in the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department and Hartford Fire Department.”

Legislative Democrats Earn Top Marks in 2024 Environmental Scorecard

By Hugh McQuaid

October 25 @ 12:45 pm

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Senate Democrats earned an average of 97% in an annual environmental scorecard, released Tuesday by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, which evaluated state legislators based on their votes related to more than a dozen environmental policies.

All told, 18 Senate Democrats received perfect scores of 100% in CTLCV’s 32-page scorecard, which assigned every Connecticut legislator an numerical grade based on their support or opposition to proposals to reduce pollution, promote climate resilience, or preserve natural resources.

This year’s scorecard evaluated votes on more than a dozen environmental bills including policies to prohibit the use of toxic PFAS chemicals, finance energy efficiency projects in public schools, and protect water sources from herbicides.

In addition to awarding 18 perfect scores to Democratic senators, CTLCV specifically recognized Sens. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, and Ceci Maher, D-Wilton, as Environmental Champions for their “unwavering commitment to environmental advocacy.”

“We extend our gratitude to these leaders for their dedication to the protection of our land, air, water, wildlife, and climate,” the environmental group said of the Environmental Champions.

The senators said they were honored to receive the distinction.

“This year, my colleagues and I worked to prevent pollution from the forever-chemical PFAS, support increased access to solar and renewable energies statewide and take action against invasive plants, among other actions,” Anwar said in a statement. “The CTLCV’s focus on voting rights is a further reminder of the way our world is interconnected, reinforcing its overall mission.”

The environmental advocacy group awarded Democrats in the House an average score of 97%, mirroring their Senate colleagues.

Meanwhile, Republican legislators in both chambers generally earned failing grades as a result of their voting records. Members of the Senate Republican Caucus earned an average score of 50%, while members of the House Republican Caucus scored an average of 37%, according to the CTLCV scorecard.

The Senate’s lowest score on environmental policies went to Sen. Ryan Fazio, a Greenwich Republican, whose voting record earned him a 25%. The lowest score in the House went to Rep. John Piscopo, R-Thomaston, who scored 23% on his environmental votes.