WICC The Voice of Connecticut

We are down to just weeks left for the 2024 legislative session and there is a lot of movement in Hartford when it comes to potential housing changes. We got an update on the legislation being tracked by CT169Strong, a grassroots organization, brining transparency to Connecticut residents about troubling bills. To learn more, go to https://ct169strong.org/

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Career strategist, Julie Bauke, highlights what she believes are the five mistakes professionals make at work. What are they and are you guilty of this in the workplace? Find out during Julie on the Job. Text the word Careerhappy to (888) 241-2385 for more information.

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Host Paul Pacelli kicked off another week on "Connecticut Today" by welcoming GOP State Sen. Jeff Gordon to talk about the latest budget controversy at the State Capitol and how it might affect UConn's tuition (00:31). Former GOP Congressman and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney dropped by to talk about the current world hotspots in the Middle East and Ukraine (11:40), while Paul also had some thoughts on the latest trial involving former President Donald Trump (22:57)

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Construction is underway for a new South Norwalk Elementary School. This new school will be the neighborhood’s first in 40 years and provide all South Norwalk children, ages PreK to 5th grade, with the option to attend a brand new, first-class school once the project is complete. We get the details from Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools Dr. Alexandra Estrella.

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Earlier this month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation to increase penalties on those who expose law enforcement officers to fentanyl. It made us wonder ‘do we have anything like this on the books in Connecticut?’ We know fentanyl is being trafficking all over the country, including here in Connecticut, at a rapid rate and putting first responders at a higher risk responding to any crime scene. We got perspective on this topic with one of our law enforcement experts, Gary MacNamara. Gary is the chief/Executive Director of Public Safety & Government Affairs as well as former Fairfield Chief of Police.

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Earlier this month, Quinnipiac University hosted a workforce roadshow highlighting manufacturing jobs. Many students including some from Ansonia and Milford attended the event and it made us want to dive into manufacturing jobs in our state. What is the perception of manufacturing and what opportunities are available in our state? We welcome to the show Chief Manufacturing Officer, Paul Lavoie, back to the show. For more information on manufacturing in CT: manufacturing.ct.gov

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A Connecticut company is in hot water this morning after a man w allegedly fired for sharing his wage with a fellow colleague. Earlier this month, a filed lawsuit highlights an employee was terminated after being asked not to share news about a pay increase with other employees, but he did. Is it illegal to share wage information and can employers even ask employees to keep pay hush hush around the office? We learn about the laws on the books here in Connecticut from employment attorney and Quinnipiac University law professor, Gary Phelan.

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A busy Friday edition of "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli started with a new look at the startling amount of taxes paid by Connecticut residents over their lifetimes (00:34). Connecticut Food Association President Wayne Pesce joined us and responded to allegations of grocery store price gouging (13:32). We welcomed Mike Papantonio, co-author of, "Suspicious Activity: A Legal Thriller" (27:24). Finally, former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso checked-in with his weekly wrap-up (40:51)

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 Broadway is coming to Fairfield! We met Melissa Errico ahead of her show happening this month at the SHU Community Theatre. Melissa Errico is a Tony Award-nominated Broadway star. She is an actress, singer and author who contributes regularly to The New York Times. We got to chat with Errico about her journey to getting on stage and what to expect with her upcoming show on April 20th! We even got some personal stories about her family history with acting and how her love story began with her husband, tennis player, Patrick McEnroe. 

For more information and tickets: https://www.shucommunitytheatre.org/

IMAGE CREDIT: Sacred Heart University Community Theatre / Melissa Errico 

Anyone who has spent time in a classroom can tell you about the value of student engagement. According to a recent Gallup poll, students who are engaged in their learning are 2.5 times more likely to say that they get excellent grades and do well in school. With 150 students now participating in the Stamford Agriscience Program, we learned why this type of instruction is so effective for local high schoolers. We spoke with Kyle Rogers, a sophomore in the program, as well as Virginia Cipolla, an Agriscience Teacher and the Program Coordinator for the Stamford Agriscience Program.

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