Voice of CT

Melissa in the Morning: Safety on CT Highways

It is Work Zone Awareness Month and our Department of Transportation is hyper focused on speeding. This time last year, the DOT rolled out speed cameras as part of a pilot program to monitor speeding in work zones on our highways. They were placed in a handful of spots, including one in a work zone in Norwalk. In the eight-month period, the data shows over 20-thousand warnings were issued during the pilot and more than 700 tickets were issued. One of the fastest speeds was 107 miles an hour and that was in the Norwalk work zone. DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto talked about the effectiveness of speed cameras in work zones and whether the cameras will be permanent in the state. Plus, we covered wrong-way detection systems across the state, the reasoning for taking down trees along our highways, and a push to lower the BAC from .08% to .05%.

Image Courtesy of Melissa Sheketoff

Melissa in the Morning: Social Media Rotting the Brain

Social media platforms are “not inherently suitable for youth,” say top psychologists, and tech companies and lawmakers need to do more to protect kids’ mental health. The American Psychological Association said Tuesday that endless scrolling and push notifications are particularly risky for young people whose brains are still developing. We asked Dr. Browne about this. Plus, we tackled seafood woes in New England. People who eat a lot of seafood may be at a higher risk of exposure to so-called “forever chemicals.” A new study published last week in the journal Exposure and Health tested several species in a New Hampshire seafood market. It found very high levels of these toxic chemicals, known as PFAS in shrimp and lobster.

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Melissa in the Morning: Boeing Whistleblower

Boeing’s safety culture came under scrutiny during a U.S. Senate hearing this week in Washington DC. Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour was one of several whistleblowers who testified against Boeing in regard to their lacking manufacturing safety and the toxic work environment following his effort to voice concerns. Senator Richard Blumenthal was in the room for that hearing and shared his feedback with us about the problem at hand and what needs to happen next.

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CT Today With Paul Pacelli – Don’t Talk About What You Don’t Understand

Wednesday’s “Connecticut Today” with host Paul Pacelli opened with a chat about the media uproar surrounding Caitlin Clark’s rookie WNBA contract (00:24). Hearst Connecticut Media editor and columnist Dan Haar dropped by on his way home from the State Capitol to chat about the latest in the General Assembly (13:20)

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Melissa in the Morning: The Trickle Down Effect

Sikorsky Aircraft is laying off hundreds of workers in the state who were involved with the canceled Army scout helicopter project. Around 400 Connecticut employees are losing their jobs, mostly engineers and digital technology workers in the scout program. The layoffs reportedly involve 350 Sikorsky workers in Stratford. We got some business perspective from Dan Onofrio, President of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. How do the layoffs impact surrounding town businesses who rely on those workers? And when Sikorsky loses a military contract, what does that mean for the Connecticut businesses supplying Sikorsky with material to build their aircrafts?

Image Credit: Reuters

Melissa in the Morning: Cannabis Law Behind the Scenes

As of July 2021, Connecticut residents could possess and use of up to 1.5 oz of cannabis legally. And in 2022, the state started allowing retail shops to open and sell recreational marijuana. Since the roll out, some of the biggest supporters of legalizing weed, are now thinking twice about it. We found out what the law has ACTUALLY done to many in the cannabis industry, including local hemp farmers, and why the news you see about pot shops may not be as great as headlines say. We got the scoop from Mike Goodenough, co-founder of the Connecticut Cannabis Small Business Alliance and CEO of Himalayan High LLC.

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Melissa in the Morning: Failure to Launch?

After months of work, David Mestre and a team of UB students travelled to Texas to be part of a NASA-backed project during the solar eclipse. David told us about the project, the journey and the outcome of the experiment. Did their cameras capture footage of the eclipse? Did weather impact the balloons needed to get cameras in the air? We got the scoop during Science You May Not Know.

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Melissa in the Morning: Spring Consumer Scams

As we celebrate the spring weather, be ready for the seasonal scams that pop up this time of year. We learned about the Lemon Law program here in Connecticut and what that means for people buying a car. We also looked at home improvement projects and how to avoid shoddy contractors. We spoke with Bryan Cafferelli, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.

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CT Humane Society Pet of the Week

Today’s Pets of the Week are going to be Scamper & Squeaky!

These two are a bonded pair of guinea pigs available for adoption from our Westport location. As of this moment, there are 5 guinea pigs that need homes, but if anyone is looking for a canine companion or a purrfect cat, they can check out the other pets in our Newington and Waterford locations.

They are both 2 months old, they’re brothers, and they were born in foster care!

The Guinea Pig, also called a cavy, is one popular pet! They are relatively easy to care for, docile and are responsive to kind and gentle handling. When handled correctly, guinea pigs enjoy being picked up and carried. They are curious critters and enjoy exploring, especially when on familiar territory. They are not as likely to investigate the world with their mouths as some of their rodent family friends but they are curious critters and enjoy exploring, especially when on familiar territory. They can also be trained to respond to tricks and, when bonded to their owner, may respond eagerly to the sound of his/her voice! Guinea pigs are social animals who prefer to live in small groups. Two or more females will become great friends. If you want two males, it’s best to choose two babies from the same litter. Since guinea pigs multiply rapidly, keeping males and females together is not recommended. Just like humans, guinea pigs need to get vitamin C from their diet, so they need special food and fresh veggies. Guinea pigs can live in pairs or alone. On average, cavies weigh 2 pounds and can live 6-8 years with proper care.

CT Today With Paul Pacelli – What’s Happened to the Republican Party?

Host Paul Pacelli wondered on Tuesday’s “Connecticut Today” whether Republican lawmakers in Congress have completely lost their ability to govern (00:25). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio joined us to chat about the latest buzz on the so-called “Green Monster” omnibus environment bill at the State Capitol (13:07)

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