WICC The Voice of Connecticut

Finding a camp that has a focus on children with different abilities can be hard to find. But Girl Scouts of Connecticut has made some major upgrades to one of its camps, offering girls of all ages and abilities more outdoor adventures this upcoming summer season! Camp An-Se-Ox in Oxford is unveiling the new work breaking barriers this summer during an official ribbon cutting ceremony this Sunday, June 2nd. Elicia Spearman, CEO of Girl Scouts of Connecticut, gave us the details.

For more information: https://www.gsofct.org/

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The Bird flu has been found in alpacas for the first time. The Department of Agriculture says it's the latest spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus. It's the latest worry around a bird flu outbreak nationwide. We talked to Dr. Browne about the news and how bird flu has a trickle down impact on prices of popular food items, like eggs. We also discussed a news story in Georgia that can impact Connecticut meat eaters too! A family went to the hospital after their black bear meat kebabs gave them parasitic worms. Dr. Browne dives into that as well. 

IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Fred Browne / Griffin Health

Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli talked about possible verdicts and a timeline for former President Donald Trump's "hush money" trial in New York City (00:20). We also heard from Hearst Connecticut Media senior editor and columnist Dan Haar about the biggest state stories (13:02)

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Earlier this month, a Connecticut treasure was highlighted on a national platform. The Sterling Opera House in Derby was Connecticut’s first building listed on the National Register of Historical Places and it was at the center of a Discovery Channel episode. We spoke with Kellie Santiago, the executive director of The Derby Historical Society of Derby, CT.

IMAGE CREDIT: Kellie German Santiago

According to estimates from Feeding America, more than 460,000 (1 in 8) Connecticut residents struggle with hunger. At a closer look at the recent data, more than 112,000 children are considered food insecure in our state. We spoke with Jason Jakubowski, President and CEO Connecticut Foodshare, about the updated data and resources available for kids who rely on school meals but now don’t have them during the summer months.

Image Credit: Getty Images

Host Paul Pacelli welcomed Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio on Tuesday's edition of "Connecticut Today" to chat about a controversial labor bill that Governor Ned Lamont has promised to veto (00:21). Paul also opened the show talking about the latest gun violence in Bridgeport (11:23)

Image Credit: REUTERS

Police departments across the country are desperately looking for officers. Recruitment and retainment have been major challenges, especially since the pandemic, for departments across Connecticut, including the Park City. Bridgeport Police are offering something no other department in the state is during the month of June. We spoke with Lt. Angelo Collazo about conditioning camp happening every Tuesday and Thursday evening next month.

For more information: bridgeportct.gov/bpdshift or call (203) 576-8332

IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

An estimated 19 million Americans have at least one phobia, and studies show phobias illustrate the negative effects can have on people’s mental and physical health. So, how do we overcome fear and prevent it from crippling our lives? It’s not easy, but counselor, Julius Dudics says the best way to overcome fear is giving up control. But how do you give up control to a God that you don’t believe in or trust? We dive into this.

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Wellness company, Exos, launched a four-day work week pilot program last year and decided to keep it after fantastic results six months later. Many want to know why more companies don’t adopt four-day work week models. But the bigger question should be: why don’t managers trust their team more to try new programs? We looked at a recent article and talked about it in length with career strategist, Julie Bauke.

For the article: How one company created a four-day workweek program that works for its employees (hr-brew.com)

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According to recent Census data, the number of farms in Connecticut is slowly shrinking. Farmers have cited a labor shortage, especially when it comes to young people in the profession, as a reason for the dwindling numbers. We asked the Department of Agriculture Commissioner, Bryan Hurlburt, about the findings. We also got a better idea of how important the farming industry is in our state and how “support local” is a huge solution to the problem.

IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff