WICC The Voice of Connecticut

It’s the moment in the skies we’ve all been waiting for: the 2024 Solar Eclipse! The National Weather Service reports the eclipse is expected to be visible in Connecticut with approximately 92-94% sun coverage with the max coverage set for 3:27pm. Even though the eclipse means unusual darkness when it’s usually brighter in the afternoon, it doesn’t mean you can look directly at it without protection. We spoke about this more in depth with our eye expert, Dr. Scott Spector of Spector Eye Care.

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Last Friday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake in New Jersey around 10:23 in the morning was felt in Connecticut; specifically in our listening area. Is that magnitude significant? Are earthquakes that size rare in the Northeast? How can Connecticut residents prep for earthquakes in future? For all that and more, we spoke with Jeffrey Park, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Yale University.

Picture courtesy of Jeffrey Park, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University

Paul Pacelli is in for Melissa this week, and chats with Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim about reporting illegal establishments, flooding concerns, and paving potholes.

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Tomorrow is National Doctor’s Day; it was created back in 1933 to honor the men and women who are filling our physician positions in our hospitals and doctor’s offices. But in recent years, we continue to see physician shortages. According to national data -- primary care shortages are one major driver. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects that the U.S. will face a shortage of 68,020 primary care physicians by 2036. We spoke about this on a local level with Hartford HealthCare Dr. Dan Gottschall, VP of Medical Affairs Fairfield Region.

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Statistically, animal shelters across the country see an uptick in abandoned animals during the springtime. One reason: Easter gifts that don’t work out! If you are debating a bunny, chick or duckling to go in your child’s Easter basket, think again. We talk about this in length with Kathryn Schubert of the Connecticut Humane Society. We also did a deep dive into the commitment of adopting an animal. For more information, check out https://cthumane.org/

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Connecticut lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are sounding the alarm about getting more mental health experts in our schools. There’s strong bi-partisan support to pass a law forcing the state to invest in filling these roles. But how can we do that when we are still struggling to fill basic teacher shortages in our state? We asked Fran Rabinowitz, Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. She highlighted low pay and a lack of paraprofessionals as huge red flags for our state.

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Thursday's "Connecticut Today" with Paul Pacelli reflected on the life and times of former Connecticut Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman with Sacred Heart University Political Science Professor/Scholar in Residence Dr. Gary Rose (00:36). We got all the latest Bridgeport news from "Only In Bridgeport" blogger Lennie Grimaldi (09:52), while Quinnipiac University men's hockey play-by-play man Phil Giubileo joined us to chat about the Bobcats' prospects heading into the NCAA tournament this weekend (23:06)

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Chick-fil-A is going to allow some antibiotics in its food. The fast-food giant announced on its website it will be switching from " No Antibiotics Ever” to “No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine." What does this mean for people consuming these food items? We asked our peace of mind in the medical field, Dr. Fred Browne of Griffin Health. We also talked about the alternatives for patients who rely on insulin following a shortage of the medication.

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Some new faces have joined the Beardsley Zoo family. Connecticut’s only zoo announced the birth of five baby Cotton Patch Geese. They were born on March 21st and it marks the first time this threatened heritage breed has been born on zoo grounds. Zoo Director, Gregg Dancho, shared the details behind the big news and what it means for the population and conservation efforts. And ahead of Easter, find out about the domestic rabbits on property in Bridgeport and some facts about the Cottontail bunnies that will get you hopping up and down!

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According to American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It accounts for about 30% of all new female cancers each year. Recently, actress, Olivia Munn, made a public statement encouraging women to get a breast cancer risk score. But what is this assessment? When should women start getting their score? And where do we get the assessment done? For all the details, we spoke with Hartford HealthCare Genetic Counselor, Susan Capasso, at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

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