Governor Ned Lamont recently went to Dwight Elementary School and met with students who had a hand in approved legislation making lollipops the state candy. We spoke with Superintendent Michael Testani about it.
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Melissa in the Morning: The Future is Bright
Bridgeport education officials say there are a lot of great education stories in the pipeline for students and teachers. We looked at data surrounding student performance and a lack of teacher support right now. But we also looked at the pockets of success Bridgeport is seeing now and some new investments coming soon. We spoke with the city’s new chief academic officer, Jennifer Murchison, and Bridgeport Superintendent Dr. Carmela Levy-David.
IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Urbanowicz
Melissa in the Morning: Swimming Safety
Drowning deaths are on the rise in the United States, following decades of decline. That’s according to the CDC and its new Vital Signs Study released last month. The data shows – more than 4,500 people died due to drowning between 2020 and 2022; up 500 victims per year compared to 2019. Each year, the American Red Cross and its training providers teach more than 2.5 million people to swim through lifesaving aquatics programs. We spoke with Red Cross Connecticut volunteer, John Godin, about swimming safety and resources available to the public.
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Melissa in the Morning: New Hospital Unit
Bridgeport Hospital’s Milford Campus unveiled its new state-of-the-art post-surgical orthopedic care unit. The rooms are reportedly equipped with the latest technology and designed with patient and family comfort in mind. We learned about this latest addition and what it means for patients and staff from orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Amit Lahav.
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Melissa in the Morning: Lonely Workers
A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted the connection between modern workdays and an epidemic of loneliness in the average worker. Gary Phelan gave us perspective and got advice for employers and employees regarding isolation. Phelan is an employment attorney in Stratford and a professor of law at Quinnipiac University.
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CT Today With Paul Pacelli – More Border And Immigration Controversy
Tuesday’s “Connecticut Today” with host Paul Pacelli welcomed nationally known immigration attorney Renata Castro to chat about President Biden’s immigration and border executive order (00:24). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio dropped by to talk about the latest per-pupil public school spending in Connecticut (11:18)
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Melissa in the Morning: Deeper Dive into Steelpointe
In the last decade, Bridgeport has gained new life at the waterfront. Steelpointe Harbor has been attracting more businesses and people to the Park City and the work is far from over. We spoke with Bobby Christoph Jr, President of the RCI Group, responsible for Steelpointe Harbor and more projects in the pipeline.
IMAGE CREDIT: Robert Christoph Jr. / RCI Group
Melissa in the Morning: If you Hate it, Why Stay?!
Career strategist, Julie Bauke, tackles an elementary question that most people can’t answer: “Why do people stay in jobs they dislike/hate?” She shares reasons why people stay stuck and how to overcome it.
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Melissa in the Morning: 100 Deadliest Days
The “100 Deadliest Days” is the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when fatal crashes involving teen drivers are the highest. According to data, inn Connecticut, 151 teen drivers were involved in fatal crashes from 2013 to 2022, resulting in 175 fatalities. More than 40% of those fatal crashes occurred during the “100 Deadliest Days.” We spoke with Alec Slatky at AAA about driver behavior, not just for teens, but the experienced drivers in their families.
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Melissa in the Morning: Mental Health Sick Days
Test Prep Insight, an online education company, conducted a survey among 3,000 parents, focusing on absences related to mental health. The study showed 71% of parents in Connecticut believe children should be allowed to take days off school for mental health reasons (compared to a national average of 73%). Is it OK to allow your kids to take mental health breaks from school? And if you are a believer in mental health days, how do we help our kids make it productive? We spoke with Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of CT Association of Public School Superintendents.
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