The Storyline

Kolton Harris, executive director of Writer's Block Ink, talked to The Day's Rick Koster about the role of the performing arts during periods of social upheaval and he shared a song that he co-wrote in the weeks since the death of George Floyd titled "Another One Dead."

The county begins to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic while we also brace ourselves for another spike in cases. And as protests and unrest hit many parts of the country as a result of recent examples of police brutality toward the black community, including the recent death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, we have started to reach out to local artists of color to get their thoughts on the unrest, the events that led up to it, and the role that art can play during times like these.

We asked our readers if they had plans to go out to eat at a local restaurant starting on May 20. Of 180 responses, 18% said they were planning on dining out, while 43% said absolutely not. Another 38% said they were going to take a wait-and-see approach.  

The Day wants to help our readers and listeners make an informed decision. We sent journalists - those who felt comfortable doing so - to various restaurants in the area during the Memorial Day weekend to report back about their experience. This week we hear from The Day's newsroom about what they saw and heard while dining out during the pandemic.

Restaurants and retail shops in Connecticut opened on May 20 after months of closure due to the coronavirus. Reporters from The Day visited various locations in southeastern Connecticut to talk to customers and business owners.

Reporter Taylor Hartz joined the podcast to talk about a story she is working on about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting crime in Connecticut and how those changes and the circumstances of the pandemic might change police strategies moving forward. She shared insights from her in-depth interview with John DeCarlo, University of New Haven associate professor and director of the master's degree program in criminal justice.

Multimedia director Peter Huoppi joined the podcast to talk about how The Day continues to produce video stories during a time of social distancing. He talked about the creativity that is required during this crisis, not only from our staff of visual storytellers but also from the community, as various groups continue to look for ways to connect and to express themselves. He's recently worked with local musicians and music students from Ledyard High School to tell their stories through virtual meetings and live-streaming apps.

Reporter Julia Bergman joins the podcast to talk about a 13-year-old New London boy who is recovering from COVID-19 and how that experience affected his family.

The Day has received almost 100 reader-submitted questions about the COVID-19 pandemic. We are trying to answer as many of them as possible. In this week's episode, we go through 14 of your questions as answered by a nurse practitioner at Ledge Light Health District.

We also hear about what some southeastern Connecticut communities are doing to show solidarity and unity during this time of social distancing.

The Day's sports editor Chuck Banning joined the podcast to talk about how the sports department continues to tell local stories during a time when all sports, from high school through the professional level, have been canceled or postponed. 

And we talk to two grocery store employees about the challenges they are facing and how they are handling the increased demand for certain products while working long hours to sanitize their stores and restock empty shelves.

Reporter Julia Bergman talked to Dr. Peter Morgan, chair of psychiatry at L+M Hospital, about the mental health needs of people as they navigate the onslaught of news in this time of crisis. He also shared some tips for parents on how to communicate with their children without causing anxiety and stress. 

And reporter Erica Moser talks about her recent explainer story that looked into the science of social distancing, flattening and the curve and other recommendations that health officials have been making to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.