CT Community News
Reporting from the Connecticut Student Journalism Collaborative
Latest news
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Passing a milestone, a Sandy Hook survivor looks back and ahead
Lenie Urbina was in fourth grade at Sandy Hook elementary school when the shooting happened. Now graduating college, she reflects on how her life has been shaped by those events.
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CT nursing homes work to combat social isolation
One-third of older adults report feelings of social isolation, a problem that only increased during the COVID pandemic. But some nursing homes are taking steps to connect their residents.
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Elena’s Light honors refugee advocates, raises concern for the future
Refugee and immigrant advocates urged solidarity and discipline in the face of challenges from the Trump administration at a West Haven celebration.
Education
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Passing a milestone, a Sandy Hook survivor looks back and ahead
Lenie Urbina was in fourth grade at Sandy Hook elementary school when the shooting happened. Now graduating college, she reflects on how her life has been shaped by those events.
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Advocates say Connecticut needs more Black male teachers
The presence of Black male teachers in Connecticut’s diverse public schools is alarmingly low, and this underrepresentation poses significant challenges for students of color who benefit from having mentors who reflect their own background.
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Learning after lockdown: college students still feel COVID’s sting
Many students are still recovering from the social, emotional and academic shock of the pandemic.
Arts & Culture
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Yale exhibit showcases beauty through disability
A visiting exhibition at Yale aims to redefine beauty standards by showcasing women with disabilities.
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Yale exhibit showcases beauty through disability
A visiting exhibition at Yale aims to redefine beauty standards by showcasing women with disabilities.
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Finding community: How book clubs combat loneliness
Book clubs are more than just literary discussions once a month. They are a chance for social interaction and connecting with like-minded people.
Cost of living
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Post-pandemic rent hikes challenge New Britain residents
As COVID-era rent protections expire, rising housing costs – and evictions – are provoking a crisis in many Connecticut towns.
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Rising prices hit student budgets
Inflation may have eased, but prices remain high, and students are among those struggling to afford groceries.
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Families find novel ways to grapple with rising food costs
From discount grocery stores to backyard chickens, Connecticut residents are getting creative on high food prices.
Features
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Finding community: How book clubs combat loneliness
Book clubs are more than just literary discussions once a month. They are a chance for social interaction and connecting with like-minded people.
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School districts find new ways to manage student cell phone use
School officials say restricting cell phone use leads to better student engagement, but districts are grappling with how to implement the policy.
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Unfollow, unfriend, block: Is social media tearing us apart?
Taking a stand against opposing viewpoints by unfollowing or blocking those who disagree with you has become the newest trend on social media.
In Focus
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Anger, despair and relief across Connecticut as Trump defeats Harris
While some Connecticut residents said Wednesday that they are upset about the results of Tuesday’s Presidential election, others said they are optimistic about former president Donald J. Trump’s return to office.
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Prison art exhibit showcases creativity, humanity
The 44th annual Community Partners in Action Prison Arts Program exhibit celebrates the creativity of incarcerated people using art to express themselves and connect with their communities beyond the prison walls.
SPECIAL FEATURE: U.S. Democracy Day
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UPDATE: UConn’s main campus gets early voting location
Connecticut has never implemented voting on campus. Advocates say it could be the missing link in engaging young people in the democratic process.
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Meet the people behind the curtain on Election Day
Election workers, from registrars to town clerks, say it’s a year-round job
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Election-Day voter registration in Connecticut: here’s what you need to know
Same-day registration has a checkered history in Connecticut, but election officials say they’re ready for a surge this year.
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Criticism, conflict and courts: Connecticut updates its voting procedures
State officials roll out improvements to voting access in the land of steady habits, in the wake of scandals and national scrutiny.
Across the country, some 42 million members of Gen Z will be eligible to vote in November, many of them for the first time. So what’s on their mind as they head to the ballot box? Read more about this story.
Interviews by Eary Banushi, Elijah Hernandez, Jahshua Hardy-Everett, Ben Daddio, Deanna Prescott and Chike Onyiuke of CCSU Journalism; Avery Martin of SCSU Journalism; Alex Soto of University of New Haven.
Partner Content
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Republicans, Democrats work to restore voter trust
From cross-partisan groups working in battleground states to off-the-record meetings of conservatives in Republican strongholds, new initiatives nationwide aim to restore trust in elections and shore up democracy.
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Trump v. Harris on Higher Education
The presidential candidates have different priorities and ideologies when it comes to higher education.
This section is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.
Featured Story
Should the minimum wage keep going up?
Young people often depend on minimum wage jobs to get by in college, support their families, or give themselves a modicum of independence. What do students at UConn think about Connecticut’s minimum wage of $15.69 an hour, and the policy that will see it indexed to the cost of labor?
Interviews & portraits by Shelagh Laverty, University of Connecticut
In Focus
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A journey into homelessness
Billy Cichon, 59, a Polish immigrant to New Britain has been homeless since being evicted three years ago. Alienated from his family and with no one else to turn to for help, Cichon said he began living out of his car.
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Homelessness is on the rise: here’s what it looks like in Hamden
Rob panhandles on the streets of Hamden to make ends meet. His story is just one in a growing number of people who find themselves without shelter.
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New Britain mulls the price of panhandling
Walking miles on end and standing for hours in the same spot through the changing weather in hopes that someone will want to help is the life of many panhandlers in the city.
More news
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Stores see downside of self-checkout trend
Self-checkout is now offered by 96% of retailers nationally, but this trend, first embraced to save on labor costs, may have compromised stores’ ability to…
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Bus ridership falls in year after fares reintroduced
When a bus ride in Connecticut was free, Jonathan Parrilla found himself hopping on Bridgeport routes to save money on gas. But he stopped taking…