WICC The Voice of Connecticut

Most of us don’t realize we have just two minutes to escape a home fire, which is the nation’s most frequent disaster, according to the American Red Cross. Home fires claim seven lives every day in the U.S. — but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half. We spoke with Becky Johnson, Regional Disaster Officer of the American Red Cross Connecticut, about the need for functioning fire alarms and having an escape plan. Plus, she gave us details on the upcoming Sound the Alarm event on April 20th. For more information: www.SoundTheAlarm.org/Connecticut

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When you look at national statistics, it’s scary to see how prevalent domestic violence is in America. Up to date data shows 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner abuse in some regard, according to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. But does that really reflect how big the problem is here in Connecticut? We asked Deb Greenwood, CEO and President of the Center for Family Justice. Find out what they are seeing on the grounds in Fairfield County. What she shares may really shock you! Find out more about this, the resource available and an upcoming benefit April 27th: Walk a Mile in her Shoes. For more information: https://centerforfamilyjustice.org/calendar/events/

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Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" with host Paul Pacelli looked at a new Gallup survey concerning the consumer market and current attitudes surround electric vehicles (00:29). Blogger Chris Powell checked-in regarding a recent controversy at the State Capitol on how "mothers" are referred to in an appropriations bill (12:32). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio stopped by to update the latest state employee contract costs (23:08)

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Melissa Longo announced her candidacy for State Representative of the 134th District, representing parts of Fairfield and Trumbull. We got to know her personally and politically and tackled some of her biggest priorities if she is elected in November.

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A teacher at Strawberry Hill Elementary School in Stamford is accused of sexually assaulting a dozen students. According to reports, the investigation into this person started with young female students speaking up. This news story sparked a conversation about detecting potential threats in people our kids are familiar with. It also prompted the importance of changing the conversation with our kids from “how to avoid stranger danger” to “what should be normal in any relationship from acquaintances to romantic partners.” We did a deep dive with our law enforcement expert, Gary MacNamara. He is the former Fairfield Chief of Police and current chief/executive director of Public Safety at Sacred Heart University.

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Did you know more than half of the American population reports experiencing loneliness. While the winter is usually associated with seasonal affective disorder, a lot of studies and reports have shown that “winter blues” can happen anytime of year, especially the spring. But how can that be? We find out from our morning show counselor, Julius Dudics, and tackle the process of facing the truth to combat loneliness.

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According to Men's Journal, a new survey finds work-related stress is leading to an abnormally high rate of breakups and divorces, with 71 percent of respondents reporting that work stress caused a personal relationship to end. How can you keep work-related stress from impacting your marriage? We asked career strategist, Julie Bauke, in Julie on the Job.

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"Monday's "Connecticut Today" with Paul Pacelli welcomed Quinnipiac University Assistant Teaching Professor of Physics Dr. Robert Fischetti to talk about the big solar eclipse (00:25). CT NewsJunkie columnist and Substack.com blogger Terry Cowgill stopped by for his weekly chat (04:17)

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According to the most recent US findings, the top reasons a marriage ends includes lack of commitment and constant arguing. Those two things happen a lot of times because someone or both parties feel stuck and unsure how to move forward in their relationship. We got some perspective from marriage coach, Bob Donovan, about why we feel stuck and what are some solutions to get out of a rough season or a rut in a healthy way.

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This week is National America Saves Week (April 8-12). The Better Business Bureau is joining more than 3,000 entities, including financial institutions, government agencies, local government, and other nonprofit organizations in the call to action for everyday Americans to commit to saving successfully. We got tips from Kristen Johnson of the BBB in Connecticut to learn how we can prioritize saving and upcoming events this week that can help us achieve our financial goals.

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