CT Ranked Among Five Happiest States In Nation, New Study Finds: Here's Why CT Ranked Among Five Happiest States In Nation, New Study Finds: Here's Why
CT Ranked Among Five Happiest States In Nation, New Study Finds: Here's Why The Northeast is home to some of the happiest people in the country, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of Happiest States in America on Monday, Sept. 8. The study compared all 50 states across 30 metrics of happiness, including depression and suicide rates, work hours, income growth, unemployment, family stability, volunteer rates, and safety. The personal finance website also measured how many adults feel active and productive, as well as factors like sleep, leisure time, and community support. "In addition to pursuing your passions, having a good work-l…
CT Teen Arrested By ICE Freed After 44 Days In Federal Custody CT Teen Arrested By ICE Freed After 44 Days In Federal Custody
CT Teen Arrested By ICE Freed After 44 Days In Federal Custody A New Haven teenager taken into custody by federal immigration officials has been released after spending more than six weeks in federal detention. Esdras R., an 18-year-old immigrant from Central America and a rising junior at Wilbur Cross High School, was freed Tuesday, Sept. 2, after posting a $1,500 bond, according to the advocacy group CT Students for a Dream.  He had been held for 44 days in multiple detention facilities across three states. Original: 'Unconscionable': New Haven High School Student Detained By ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Esdras…
CT Teachers Turn To GoFundMe As Classroom Costs Soar CT Teachers Turn To GoFundMe As Classroom Costs Soar
CT Teachers Turn To GoFundMe As Classroom Costs Soar School is in session for nearly every student in Connecticut.  While families have seen increased prices while back-to-school shopping, local teachers are also facing a big challenge — covering classroom expenses that keep rising. With budgets stretched thin, more educators are leaning on their own wallets and, increasingly, on community support. According to the Learning Policy Institute, 95 percent of teachers report spending their own money on supplies. The strain has pushed many to seek help online. Many have turned to fundraising sites like GoFundMe to help keep their classrooms s…
Family Of Slain Bristol Barber Speaks Out: 'Taken From Us In Worst Way Possible' Family Of Slain Bristol Barber Speaks Out: 'Taken From Us In Worst Way Possible'
Family Of Slain Bristol Barber Speaks Out: 'Taken From Us In Worst Way Possible' A strong community is forming around the family of a Bristol business owner who was fatally shot last week in New Britain. Jayson Bruno-Matos, 36, was found with gunshot wounds in the 100 block of Arch Street around 2 a.m. on Saturday after multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunfire, police said. One of his siblings has launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking support from the community that Bruno-Matos loved—and neighbors are stepping up. The fundraiser has already collected more than $6,000 to cover funeral expenses and help support his daughters and other family members. The campaign’s g…
102-Year-Old CT Garage Facing Eviction, Owners Say 102-Year-Old CT Garage Facing Eviction, Owners Say
102-Year-Old CT Garage Facing Eviction, Owners Say Freccia Bros Garage, the five-generation family-run shop, is still getting air-cooled cars back on the road more than 102 years after opening, but things are about to change.  A split within the Freccia family has left the iconic West Putnam Avenue business facing eviction. Now, shop managers Frank Freccia III, his daughter, Guinevere, and longtime colleague Dave D’Andrea Jr. are turning to the public for help. The trio launched a GoFundMe to raise $250,000 to keep the garage running.  “For years, we have been embroiled in a legal family trust dispute over ownership of the b…
CT College Student Killed In Mustang Crash Mourned CT College Student Killed In Mustang Crash Mourned
CT College Student Killed In Mustang Crash Mourned By all accounts, Mary Cordero’s future was full of promise.  That future was tragically cut short when the 19-year-old Western Connecticut State University junior died in a car crash over the weekend. Now, the Newtown community is rallying to support her grieving family. Cordero, a Danbury native, was sitting in the center back seat of a red 2017 Ford Mustang GT as it sped along Berkshire Road in Newtown, just west of Zoar Road, around 2:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, police said. Original Report: Teen Killed In Newtown Wreck That Sent Several To Hospital Investigators believe the driver…
Inside Northeast Sex Trafficking Empire: Cash, Luxury Apartment, Fake Spa, Fugitive On The Run Inside Northeast Sex Trafficking Empire: Cash, Luxury Apartment, Fake Spa, Fugitive On The Run
Inside Northeast Sex Trafficking Empire: Cash, Luxury Apartment, Fake Spa, Fugitive On The Run They built a criminal empire out of fake spas, cash, and exploited women. One vanished before trial. The other just got sentenced to decades in prison. The Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office issued an update on Monday, Aug. 25, confirming the fate of Zigui “Lisa” Zheng—and the disappearance of her co-defendant, Yan Qiu, after both were convicted of running a sex trafficking ring across Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia. Spa Boss Sentenced After Shocking Trial Zheng, 48, was sentenced to 10.5 to 21 years in state prison on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, after a jury found her guilty of…
After 13-Year-Old Killed In Alleged DUI Crash, Community Rallies Behind Mass Family After 13-Year-Old Killed In Alleged DUI Crash, Community Rallies Behind Mass Family
After 13-Year-Old Killed In Alleged DUI Crash, Community Rallies Behind Mass Family A 16-year-old boy faces new charges in the Marblehead crash that killed 13-year-old Savanah Gatchell, as the community rallies to support her grieving family. The 16-year-old, whose name is not being released because of his age, is now charged with motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, receiving a stolen vehicle, and operating under the influence of liquor, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. He was also cited for two civil motor vehicle infractions. Savanah, an eighth grader at Veterans Middle School, died after the crash on Atlantic Avenue just before 3 …
'Stayed By His Side Til The End': Dog Remained Loyal To Owner During Fatal CT Fire 'Stayed By His Side Til The End': Dog Remained Loyal To Owner During Fatal CT Fire
'Stayed By His Side Til The End': Dog Remained Loyal To Owner During Fatal CT Fire A Connecticut family who lost a 32-year-old man and two dogs in a devastating house fire is taking solace in the fact that one of his beloved pets never left his side. Now, the community is rallying to help them rebuild. Firefighters sped to the 100 block of Brookside Place in Cheshire around 3 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, after reports of a raging house fire. Inside, Zachary Naoumides was with his father, veterinarian Dr. Nicholas Naoumides, when flames quickly spread through the home. His father escaped by jumping from the roof, suffering severe smoke inhalation. Zachary, however, did not survi…
Family Home To 3 Generations Leveled In Propane Explosion; CT Community Rallies Family Home To 3 Generations Leveled In Propane Explosion; CT Community Rallies
Family Home To 3 Generations Leveled In Propane Explosion; CT Community Rallies Three generations of a Newtown family narrowly escaped tragedy when a propane tank exploded. They were away from home and unharmed, but their South Main Street house was destroyed. Sara Lewis, her two young children, and her parents had left the home before the blast on Friday evening, Aug 9, according to a GoFundMe raising money for the family. While they escaped unharmed, the Lewises now face rebuilding everything.  In addition to keeping her family together, Lewis is also a small-business owner in Bethel, operating a salon within Artista Beauty Studios. Colleagues there st…
NJ Synagogue Firebombed In 2012 Ravaged By Fire — Along With All 7 Torahs NJ Synagogue Firebombed In 2012 Ravaged By Fire — Along With All 7 Torahs
NJ Synagogue Firebombed In 2012 Ravaged By Fire — Along With All 7 Torahs Tragedy has struck yet again for a New Jersey synagogue targeted in a 2012 firebombing. At approximately 2:45 a.m. Friday, Aug. 8, a blaze ripped through Rabbi Yitzchok Lerman and his wife, Bina's, Montross Avenue home and synagogue in Rutherford, where they've been since 2014. The couple and four of their six children who were home at the time escaped "right in the nick of time," according to Bina's sister, Brocha Wilschanski. However, everything else was destroyed — including all seven Torahs. "They're in shock, but they're well," Wilschanski said in a call with Daily Voice. "The al…
Teen Swept Into Drain, Dies As Brother, Mother Watch Helplessly During Flash Flood Teen Swept Into Drain, Dies As Brother, Mother Watch Helplessly During Flash Flood
Teen Swept Into Drain, Dies As Brother, Mother Watch Helplessly During Flash Flood A flash flood hit a small Maryland community in a matter of minutes. In even less time, a 13-year-old boy was gone. Mason Paul Kearns was swept into a storm drain just 20 feet from his family’s front door on Thursday, July 31, around 5:20 p.m. — all while his family watched helplessly as they attempted to save him. Emergency responders rushed to the Watersville Apartments on West Watersville Road, where Kearns had been caught in rapidly rising floodwaters. “Mason became trapped in a storm drainpipe as he was swept away by the heavy rainfall,” Mount Airy Chief Michael Ginevra said…