WICC The Voice of Connecticut

In recent years, our winters in Connecticut have been very mild and that means more rodents and pests in our yards. That means a lot of Connecticut residents are having pest control companies out to spray and handle the problem. But many others are hesitant to get treatments because of poisoning fears for their pets and kids. We get the facts from Chris Lariccia of Rescue 1 Pest in Connecticut.

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March is Kidney Cancer Awareness month and it’s a type of cancer that people stumble upon. According to national statistics, about 80,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year in the US. We wanted to know since it commonly is a fluke diagnosis, what are the risk factors, symptoms, and treatments available? We spoke with Kidney Cancer expert, oncologist and researcher at Yale Cancer Center, Dr. David Braun.

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Elections for the Connecticut State Senate will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is August 13, 2024. The filing deadline is June 11, 2024. Rob Blanchard is running for the first time as a state senator, vying to take incumbent Senator Tony Hwang’s place in the 28th District. We learned about Blanchard’s platfom running as the Democratic candidate for Connecticut’s 28th State Senate District.

Image Courtesy Of Rob Blanchard

A Fairfield filmmaker fell into film making after the death of his father. While helping his mother grieve the loss, he stumbled upon an unconventional study where scientists spark sensory reconnections for people who have lost loved ones. It’s being called the first publicly funded research of its kind. Stephen Berkley talked about the in-depth research behind this type of “therapy” and the accomplishments from his film ‘Life with Ghosts.’ His film is premiering for the first time Sunday March 3rd at SHU Community Theatre in Fairfield. Check out https://www.lifewithghosts.com/ for more information.

Science You May Not Know: getting ready for the total eclipse in April. Find out where you can best spot the spectacle in the sky and how University of Bridgeport students have a hand in a huge NASA project during the eclipse.

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As the journey to name the next mayor of Bridgeport continues, more and more politicians are making their voices heard. We recently learned Governor Ned Lamont, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and Congressman Jim Himes are all throwing their support behind Mayor Joe Ganim for the upcoming general election redo. But opponent John Gomes also received a big endorsement from Norwalk Independent Party Chair, Lisa Brinton. We spoke to Brinton about why she is getting involved with the Bridgeport mayoral race drama and the bigger story that has unfolded in this race. 

Host Paul Pacelli started Thursday's edition of "Connecticut Today" with word of more possible restrictions on the state's landlords (00:33) We spoke with Family Institute of Connecticut President Peter Wolfgang about a legislative proposal possibly targeting Connecticut's Catholic hospitals (15:54). Washington Times Online Opinion Editor Cheryl Chumley stopped by to chat about the current immigration situation at the southern U.S. border (24:29)

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The St. Patrick Committee is 60 this year and has helped dozens high school students in the surrounding Bridgeport area over the years. We spoke with committee members, Kevin Coles and Sheryl Shaughnessey, about the group, the scholarships and the upcoming dinner supporting it all. 

Find out more at https://www.stpscholarship.com/

For the first time, seniors at a local high school came together to try and financially support other classmates who can't afford to go on the end of year senior trip. We hear from Kaden and Nate of Jonathan Law in Milford about the First Annual Car Show and what you can expect from the show March 2, 2024. 

According to national statistics, an estimated 9% of the U.S. population will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. This week (Feb. 26-Mar 3) is Eating Disorder Awareness Week and there are a lot of misconceptions around the topic. We tackle the truth about the issue and how to get help with Quinnipiac associate professor, Clotilde Dudley-Smith.

Dudley-Smith has presented at the National Teaching Professors Conference on Education and Prevention of Eating Disorders in College Students. She has written for peer-reviewed journals on the topic of anorexia nervosa and risk of exercise. She received grant funding for Interdisciplinary research on eating disorders. The grant enabled research on the education and prevention of eating disorders in college students. She has also been a member and co-leader of the education division of the International Association of Eating Disorders’ Connecticut chapter.

Picture courtesy of Clotilde Dudley-Smith