Voice of CT

Melissa in the Morning: Armed Neighborhood Groups

Hartford is working to combat crime with several proposals. One of those proposed measures includes armed neighborhood watch groups. In fact, one group rolled out for a shift this past weekend for the first time. Meanwhile, The Hartford City Council is considering a compromised resolution that would bring UNARMED neighborhood block watches to reduce crime. What could this resolution mean for other towns and cities in Connecticut combatting crime rates? What does this measure say to police in our state? We tackled that with Crime on the Mind’s Jim Perez.

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Melissa in the Morning: Religious Accommodations at Work

This is a very religious time of year. For example, Muslims began Ramadan on March 11^th, Jews will celebrate Purim on March 23^rd and Christians enter Holy Week Sunday March 24^th. For Americans who take time off for religious reasons, how do employers handle the holidays and religious accommodations? We got perspective and advice from Mike Roberts of the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.

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Melissa in the Morning: Troubling Section 27

As you know, during the legislative session there are hundreds of bills being debated in Hartford. And one bill seems to tackle elections in the state. House Bill 5498 reportedly tackles surveillance at absentee ballot dropboxes, modifications to absentee ballot data and even absentee ballot reforms. However, we were alerted to a controversial section of the bill that would bar the Independent Party from using the word independent and force the party to rebrand itself. What exactly does that mean for our future ballots if this passes and why would this even be proposed? We got perspective from our legal expert, Attorney Bill Bloss, who says this is deeply troubling to every Connecticut voter if the bill gets the greenlight with this section.

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Melissa in the Morning: We have Flute Fever with GBS

On Saturday, March 16th, the Greater Bridgeport Symphony is highlighting a powerful member of the instrumental ensemble: the flute. Find out the details for this upcoming show at The Klein in Bridgeport from Maestro Eduardo Leandro and Executive Director, Phyllis Cortese.

For more information: https://gbs.org/

IMAGE CREDIT:
iStock / Getty Images Plus

CT Today With Paul Pacelli – Changing the State Constitution for Gender?

Friday’s “Connecticut Today” with Paul Pacelli featured Connecticut Catholic Conference Executive Director Christopher Healy on a proposed measure – based on gender – that could alter Connecticut’s State Constitution (00:31). State Senate GOP leader Stephen Harding joined us to talk about a new report from the Secretary of the State’s office regarding more alleged voting irregularities in Bridgeport, (12:33), while host Paul Pacelli also had comments on the same issue as well (20:39)

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Melissa in the Morning: “Get a Screening & Get off Screens”

March is Save Your Vision Month, meant to bring awareness to screen exposure but also the need for regular eye exams. We talked to Dr. Scott Spector of Spector Eye Care in Norwalk about this. He gave his recommendation for when to start screening, how often you need exams and what to look out for with potential vision loss. Dr. Spector even shared an insane story about a young man who almost went blind if not for a random eye check…and you’ll never guess who that young man was!

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Melissa in the Morning: 112 Years and Counting!

One in every six women in Connecticut was at one time a Girl Scout and now, the premiere organization for girls is turning 112 years young! The non-profit’s milestone also coincides with National Girl Scout Week. Diana Mahoney, Chief Executive Officer at Girl Scouts of Connecticut, shared how the organization has evolved over the years, the need for scout leaders and upcoming events for the Girl Scouts of Connecticut this year.

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Melissa in the Morning: Election Laws with No Punishment?

State Representative Jason Perillo testified at a public hearing the need for more penalties to hold people committing election fraud responsible. Right now, there are many laws on the book of what not to do during elections but really no consequences for breaking those laws. So, what’s the point? We spoke in depth about the issues of election fraud in the state and the likelihood of legislation passing before the session wraps up in May.

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Melissa in the Morning: Myeloma Action Month

It’s a type of cancer that isn’t commonly known, but impacts tens of thousands of people per year in the US. What is myeloma, how can we detect it early, is it curable or reversible, are there treatments available? We asked all of this to Yale Dr. Natalia Neparidze, who has worked with myeloma patients in our state for the past 17 years. She also highlighted the importance of blood tests, not just yearly check-ups.

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Melissa in the Morning: Supporting Local Veterans

According to national reports, the total number of veterans who experienced homelessness in 2023 was more than 35,000; that’s up 7% from 2022. However, more and more entities in America have been trying to tackle veteran homelessness. That same national report shows the estimated number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in America has declined by 52% since 2010.
So, we are improving but can always do more to support the men and women who serve our country and return home to issues like joblessness, addiction and homelessness.
That’s why we support organizations like Homes for the Brave in Bridgeport. CEO and Executive Director, Vince Santilli, shared the recent work Homes for the Brave has been doing to support local vets and some upcoming events you can take part in to benefit the cause too!

More information and event tickets: https://homesforthebrave.org/

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