Black Rock Theater announced it will retire its name and officially fall under the Fairfield Theatre Company umbrella. It comes as BRT enters its second season as a residency at FTC. We spoke with Patsy Fox, Executive Director of Fairfield Theater Company and Connor Deane, Executive Director Black Rock Theater about the collaboration and future of FTC.

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

New research found that Stamford, Connecticut recorded the highest confidence levels among the 10 major US cities surveyed. It showed residents linking their optimism to visible progress, innovation, and quality-of-life improvements. We spoke with Marian Salzman, SVP Corporate Development & Senior Advisor to the U.S. CEO, PMI U.S, about the survey and key takeaways.

To read the survey findings: Americans Are Losing Patience with Innovation That Doesn't Make Life Better, New Poll from PMI U.S. Finds

Connecticut is now one of several states with confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis. What is it and how can we prevent getting sick? We asked Dr. Browne about that. We also talked about the latest with Legionnaires Cases reported in New York and how we can prevent having issues similar to Manhattan.

Image Courtesy of Griffin Health and Dr. Fred Browne

I don’t have an exact tree count, but I do know the July 4th storm caused more than 100,000 electric customers to lose power at its peak, largely because falling trees and branches brought down power lines. News reports consistently describe thousands of downed trees across the state, despite not having a verified statewide total. We spoke with Ricky Garner with K&J Tree Services about the importance of assessing trees on your property before the next storm hits.

For a free tree risk assessment: https://www.kjtreeservice.com/

A new survey conducted by the University of New Hampshire shows a lot of unhappy people living in our state. According to the findings, only one in six residents describe Connecticut as very or somewhat affordable. Four in ten residents say they are likely to move out of the state within five years, and even more want to move out, higher than any other surveyed New England state this month. We asked Senator Jeff Gordon about the findings.

To read the survey: "More Than Four in Ten Connecticut Residents Want to Move Out of State," by UNH Survey Center

Today is National Video Game Day, acknowledging the impact of video games on entertainment, culture and technology. Unless you are a gamer at heart, not everyone is keen on the idea of their kids getting into it. We spoke with Jack Wesson, assistant teaching professor of game design and development at Quinnipiac University, about the myths surrounding gaming hate in America. We also talked about what careers can come out of gaming.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz