WICC The Voice of Connecticut

We take a look back at some of the biggest news stories and interviews from 2022 featured on Melissa in the Morning. 

As the final days of 2022 wind down, Joe Aguiar ramped it up on "Connecticut Today." He started off with former Green Party candidate for congress, Justin Paglino, to talk about some of the problems he sees with the current healthcare system and what we can do to fix it (0:00). Later on, House Majority leader Jason Rojas joined Joe to talk about issues facing the state, including eviction rates, the school systems, etc. (17:35)

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The U.S. is imposing new restrictions on travelers from China due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. We asked Dr. Browne about the latest on wearing masks on planes and in schools. 

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We had Cindy Iodice in studio this morning. Cindy is the founder of the Flagman Safety campaign. The campaign was created to better protect tow truck drivers, first responders, DOT workers and anyone pulled over on the highway. Cindy lost her brother, Corey, after he was assisting a disabled vehicle in 2020 and he was hit by a drunk driver. Cindy shared what new opportunities are on the horizon with the campaign and how it will impact K-12 schools in Connecticut as early as 2023. 

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Joe Aguiar kept on trucking while filling in for Paul Pacelli on "Connecticut Today." First, Joe spoke to Keith Phaneuf, the budget reporter for the CT Mirror about the budget in the state of Connecticut, and some of the issues facing the state (0:00). Next, former State Representative of the 28th District, Russell Morin, called in to talk about various issues including Governor Ned Lamont choosing to forgo his salary (15:42). Finally, Ginny Monk, Children's Issues and Housing Reporter for the CT Mirror, to talk about her four-part series "Notice To Quit" which deals with the very real issue of eviction in the state of Connecticut (32:20).

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Lisa Dadio came back on the show. Lisa is a retired police lieutenant and currently the assistant dean for the Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven. Lisa talked about pedestrian vs car fatalities, domestic violence and a new grant to help bolster police departments. ((00:00))

Bridgeport city officials have dropped plans to spend eight-million-dollars in federal COVID funds to improve the city's broadband infrastructure. President of the BRBC, Dan Onofrio, commented on this news and weighed in on a national business story: robots taking on more jobs at chain restaurants. ((16:40))

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim takes a look back at 2022 and what happened in the city. ((27:28))

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Joe Aguiar rolled out the red carpet on Connecticut Today for two of the leaders in Hartford. First, he welcomed Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz to talk about being reelected as Lieutenant Governor of the state as well as what their plans are (0:00). Following her, Speaker of the House, Matt Ritter, called in to add to Bysiewicz's comments (17:26).

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Twas the night before Christmas (Eve) and all through the WICC 600 studio, only Joe Aguiar was stirring, as he filled in on Connecticut Today. He started the show off talking to Barth Keck of the CTNewsJunkie to talk about the teacher shortage and other issues around the state (0:00). Later on, Joe had politician and podcaster Joe Walsh on to talk about the state of the Republican Party, and where it may be heading (13:40).

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Governor Lamont stopped by one last time in 2022. We took listener questions and did a deep dive into education funding. The governor spoke on inner city support including tutoring, summer programs, working conditions and teacher recruitment. ((00:00))

Earlier this month, New Haven's mayor proposed investing $3 million dollars in tutoring for public school students. But what happens when that money runs out? We spoke to Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of CT Association of Public School Superintendents, about the problem that started well before covid. ((16:56))

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