WICC The Voice of Connecticut

The most recent data from the US Coast Guard shows more than four thousand boat accidents in America during the 2022 calendar year. Those incidents reportedly involved 636 deaths, thousands of injuries and tens of millions of dollars in damages. This week is National Boater Safety Week and we wanted to talk about the basics for boating safety. Scott Appleby, Director of Emergency Management in Bridgeport, talked about the importance of life vests, navigation, emergency preparations, weather detection and more.

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A new study suggests vivid nightmares could be an early indicator of an autoimmune disease like lupus. Researchers at the University of Cambridge and King's College London found there was a link between nightmares and the onset of hallucinations in some lupus patients. The researchers found over 60-percent of lupus patients in their survey who experienced hallucinations reported having nightmares before the onset of lupus. We asked Dr. Browne about the findings and any takeaways we should think about. We also looked at another study, this one discussing fish oil pills. A new study published this week in the journal BMJ Medicine found that those with no cardiovascular issues that took fish oil saw higher risks of atrial fibrillation and stroke.

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According to national data, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Skin cancer is still the most common cancer in the US and worldwide. And ahead of the summer season with more people exposed to the sun, May is skin cancer awareness month. We spoke with Hartford HealthCare’s Dr. Jill Rubinstein, a skin cancer specialist, about the latest treatments and research findings. We also debunked a lot of myths people believe to be true about skin cancer.

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Expert weather forecasters are projecting a significant number of dangerous storms this year. The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season is predicted to bring 24 named storms, 11 of which could become hurricanes, and six of which could reach Category 3 or stronger. This is far beyond the 30-year average and notably above the storms we had in 2023. That’s why a panel discussion was hosted in Fairfield ahead of the June first start date. We spoke with Senator Tony Hwang, who moderated the meeting, and gave us feedback from experts who addressed residents.

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This week, the pizza makers from Pepe's Modern, Sally's and many other area favorites boarded a charter Avelo flight to Washington DC to declare New Haven as the pizza capital of the U.S. It comes one week after the state launched a new marketing plan to highlight our state’s oyster industry (CT Oyster Trail.) We thought it was a great time to check in with Scott Dolch, President and CEO of Connecticut Restaurant Association. He talked about the food stories attracting people to our state but also highlighted the importance of supporting local eateries during Memorial Day weekend.

IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

Wednesday's midweek edition of "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli looked at new numbers highlighting regular marijuana use in the U.S. (00:19). Hearst Connecticut Media senior editor and columnist Dan Haar dropped by to talk about the hottest stories around the state (13:14)

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Some major national news broke this month when Miss USA and Miss Teen USA resigned from their positions within days of one another. We learned mental health played a huge role in the unexpected announcements. And during Mental Health Awareness Month this month compounded with the pageant news, we thought it was great timing to have our Miss Connecticut on the show. Gina Carloto shared insight about balancing mental health needs with the pageant world and explained the different tiers of competitions.

IMAGE CREDIT: Melissa Sheketoff

This week, we honor our EMS workers! In recent years, we have struggled to fill EMS positions in our state, including in Easton. We spoke with Chief of Service and Vice President for Easton EMS, Jon Arnold, about methods they’ve used to attract and retain workers, training opportunities, ideal candidates to join the team and updates on a new department building.

IMAGE CREDIT: Jon Arnold / Easton EMS Staff

Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli featured a chat with former Southington GOP State Sen. Joe Markley on his win in an election law case that made its way to the state Connecticut Supreme Court (00:30). State Senate GOP Leader Steve Harding talked about a proposed change in the state's contracting laws (10:51) connected to a case that Paul also had some thoughts on (18:46). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio stopped by for her weekly chat (32:25)

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Pandemic-era college kids are facing a job market that doesn't want them. Most college grads are ready to enter the “real world” yet are being forced to adjust expectations. Even the best of students are facing an endless web of job applications, ambiguous timelines and countless rejections. But how true is that? Julie Bauke weighs in on the Bloomberg study and how college grads should prepare for the workforce. 

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