Voice of CT

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 in that space. We also tied in a recent story we learned about a longstanding non-profit in town also recently learning she would not have her lease renewed.

Image Credit: Getty Images

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 before the next academic year or do we just ride the wave and see what happens? We spoke with Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the CT Association of Public School Superintendents.

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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’s wealthiest taxpayers could be affected by a proposed rollback of the Trump-era tax cuts (25:34)

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The Lisa Wexler Show – All-Night Solar Powered Lights Negatively Affect Wildlife

LIGHTS OUT CT co-chair, Meredith Barges, joins Lisa Wexler to discuss why decorative solar lights that glow all night long are detrimental to our creatures and critters- even low level lighting!

Image Credit: Bilanol / iStock / Getty Images Plus

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 to help in any way? We spoke with Senator Richard Blumenthal who says the short answer is “YES!”

Image Credit: Reuters

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 new testing requirements and coverage. We also looked at one of the biggest misses: the bipartisan Association Health Plan bill couldn’t get across the finish line, again!

IMAGE CREDIT: Adam Liegeot / Connecticut Senate Republicans

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.com/

IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

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)

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The Lisa Wexler Show – Senator Stephen Harding Wraps-Up CT’s “Short-Session”

Senate Republican Leader, Stephen Harding, joins Lisa Wexler to talk about take-aways from CT’s “short-session” & signs on to Lisa’s push for changes in women’s health legislation.

Image Credit: demerzel21 / iStock / Getty Images Plus

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 Krasselt / CT Department of Consumer Protection