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Business
Rita's Challenges Classic Fall Flavors With Newest Dessert Rita's Challenges Classic Fall Flavors With Newest Dessert
Rita's Challenges Classic Fall Flavors With Newest Dessert A popular Italian ice chain is taking on seasonal favorites like the Pumpkin Spice Latte with a new fall treat. Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is selling a limited-time dessert called Apple Butter Concrete. The eastern Pennsylvania company announced the new flavor in a news release on Monday, Aug. 25. The treat blends vanilla frozen custard with apple butter, vanilla wafers, and gooey apple pie filling. Rita's said the combination creates "an unforgettable new Concrete that captures the warmth and coziness guests look forward to" in the fall. Rita's is also bringing back its …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Study Reveals CT's Place In National Hair Care Spending Rankings Study Reveals CT's Place In National Hair Care Spending Rankings
Study Reveals CT's Place In National Hair Care Spending Rankings The rising cost of a haircut is hitting wallets harder in some Northeast states than others, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of States Where People Spend the Most & Least on Hair Care on Wednesday, Aug. 20. The personal finance website compared the average price of men's barbershop visits and women's salon services in all 50 states to median household incomes. The study found Pennsylvanians spend about 1.42% of their income on hair care, ranking 11th nationwide. New York followed close behind at 17th (1.34%), while Massachusetts placed 20th (1.31%). …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
CT Ranks Among Nation's Worst Tippers, Study Finds: Here's Why CT Ranks Among Nation's Worst Tippers, Study Finds: Here's Why
CT Ranks Among Nation's Worst Tippers, Study Finds: Here's Why Residents across the Northeast are earning high incomes but leaving some of the nation's lowest tips, according to a new study. Payment processing company BLogic Systems released a list of the 10 worst states for tipping. The analysis looked at average tip percentages, waitstaff wages, and public attitudes toward gratuities, combining them into a "Generosity Index." Connecticut landed third-worst nationwide, with an average tip of 19.8% and a Generosity Index score of 25.1 out of 100. The Constitution State's average income is $78,820, yet 92.4% of residents reported "tipping fati…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Frozen Shrimp Recall Expands Over Radioactive Contamination Concerns Frozen Shrimp Recall Expands Over Radioactive Contamination Concerns
Frozen Shrimp Recall Expands Over Radioactive Contamination Concerns A growing seafood scare has widened as federal officials announced a second shrimp recall tied to possible radioactive contamination, this time involving multiple brands across nine states. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Southwind Foods, LLC, is voluntarily recalling a range of frozen shrimp products that may be contaminated with cesium-137, a man-made radioactive isotope linked to long-term cancer risk through repeated exposure. This marks the second shrimp recall in a matter of days. Earlier, the FDA warned that certain frozen shrimp sold at Walmart stores could be contaminat…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Cracker Barrel Unveils New Logo, Menu Changes Despite Large Fan Pushback Cracker Barrel Unveils New Logo, Menu Changes Despite Large Fan Pushback
Cracker Barrel Unveils New Logo, Menu Changes Despite Large Fan Pushback Cracker Barrel is rolling out sweeping updates, even though many loyal fans say they want things left the way they were. The Tennessee-based chain unveiled its first new logo in nearly 50 years on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The familiar image of a man sitting beside a barrel is gone, replaced with a simplified, text-only design. Cracker Barrel said the refreshed look is even closer to the company's early days, when it also had a text-only logo. "Anchored in Cracker Barrel's signature gold and brown tones, the updated visuals will appear across menus and marketing collateral, including the…

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by Chris Spiker
Weather
Erin’s Offshore Spin Will Unleash Flash Flood Risk Across Northeast Erin’s Offshore Spin Will Unleash Flash Flood Risk Across Northeast
Erin’s Offshore Spin Will Unleash Flash Flood Risk Across Northeast A surge of tropical moisture unleashed by Hurricane Erin is set to drench the Northeast with meteorologists warning that sudden, drenching downpours could trigger dangerous flash flooding from Virginia to New England on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Tropical air funneled northward by Hurricane Erin is colliding with a stalled weather front, setting the stage for intense rainfall and the risk of flash flooding across a wide swath of the Appalachians and Northeast from late Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night, AccuWeather meteorologists report. While Erin itself is spinning offshore, the heav…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
Hurricane Erin Turns North With Dangerous Surf, Rip Current Alerts Issued Throughout East Coast Hurricane Erin Turns North With Dangerous Surf, Rip Current Alerts Issued Throughout East Coast
Hurricane Erin Turns North With Dangerous Surf, Rip Current Alerts Issued Throughout East Coast A massive, churning Hurricane Erin is turning the Atlantic into a danger zone for beachgoers from Florida to Massachusetts, prompting urgent warnings to stay out of the water as life-threatening surf and rip currents pound the East Coast on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Click here for a new, updated story: Erin’s Offshore Spin Will Unleash Flash Flood Risk Across Northeast The National Hurricane Center has issued a high risk of rip currents for most East Coast beaches through Thursday, Aug. 21, as Erin’s powerful winds and enormous size generate pounding surf and hazardous conditions along 2,0…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
CT Trails Northeast Neighbors In Best States to Live In Rankings, Here's Why CT Trails Northeast Neighbors In Best States to Live In Rankings, Here's Why
CT Trails Northeast Neighbors In Best States to Live In Rankings, Here's Why From the best schools in the nation to some of the highest incomes, several Northeast states are among the best places to live, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of "Best States to Live In" on Monday, Aug. 11. The study ranked all 50 states using 51 measures of livability, from housing affordability and income growth to education, health, and safety. Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said it's important to look beyond just economic factors. "When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices, and…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Multiple Wegmans Cheese Products Recalled Over Listeria Fears Multiple Wegmans Cheese Products Recalled Over Listeria Fears
Multiple Wegmans Cheese Products Recalled Over Listeria Fears A popular cheese sold at a supermarket with locations across the East Coast has been pulled from shelves following a supplier alert that triggered a multi-state recall. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. announced it is recalling its Medium Camembert Soft Ripened Cheese and several products containing the cheese due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.  The bacterium can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.  Healthy individuals may experience short-term symptoms including high fever, sev…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Road Rage Capitals: These States Have Meanest Drivers, New Survey Reveals Road Rage Capitals: These States Have Meanest Drivers, New Survey Reveals
Road Rage Capitals: These States Have Meanest Drivers, New Survey Reveals Some states make hitting the road feel like a friendly wave. Others make it feel like a contact sport. A national survey from California-based Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers asked more than 2,000 drivers to score their state’s habits, from courtesy to road rage.  The results rank where tempers flare, where patience holds, and which places lead in eyebrow-raising behavior. New York ranked first for most aggressive drivers with a driver aggression score of 122.15, far above every other state.  New Jersey also landed near the top: drivers there were among the most likely …

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by Joe Lombardi
Obituaries
Danielle Spencer, ‘What’s Happening!!’ Star Who Played Dee Thomas, 60, Dies Danielle Spencer, ‘What’s Happening!!’ Star Who Played Dee Thomas, 60, Dies
Danielle Spencer, ‘What’s Happening!!’ Star Who Played Dee Thomas, 60, Dies Actress Danielle Spencer, best known for her role as younger sister Dee Thomas on the popular show "What's Happening!!", passed away in Virginia following a lengthy battle with cancer, her loved ones confirm. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Spencer starred on the ABC program as the precocious Thomas for several years until the show was cancelled in 1979.  She died at Chippenham Hospital in Richmond on Monday, Aug. 11, at the age of 60, her family confirmed.. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Haywood Nelson (@haywoodnels…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Cookies Sold At Target Stores In 20 States, Including CT, Pulled From Shelves Cookies Sold At Target Stores In 20 States, Including CT, Pulled From Shelves
Cookies Sold At Target Stores In 20 States, Including CT, Pulled From Shelves A sweet treat sold at one of the nation’s biggest retailers is now under a safety alert covering 20 states and Washington, DC. The recall involves Favorite Day Bakery Frosted Sugar Cookies, a 10-count product sold under Target’s private label brand.  According to the Food and Drug Administration, manufacturer Give and Go Prepared Foods Corp. of Canada pulled the cookies due to possible contamination with wood. A total of 803 cases are affected. The cookies were distributed through three Target distribution centers — in Connecticut, Maryland, and Ohio — and reached stores in: Connect…

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by Joe Lombardi