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COVID-19: Additional CT School Districts Closed Due To Staffing Shortages COVID-19: Additional CT School Districts Closed Due To Staffing Shortages
Covid-19: Additional CT School Districts Closed Due To Staffing Shortages Staffing shortages caused by the new outbreak of COVID-19 cases in Connecticut have led to the closure of some schools while other districts went remote. With the positive infection rate in Connecticut rising above 20 percent as the Omicron variant rapidly spreads, some schools have been facing staffing and busing shortages due to the virus. Related story - COVID-19: Infection Rate In CT Soars Past 20 Percent; Latest Breakdown Of Cases By County In New Haven County, Hamden Schools Superintendent Jody Ian Goeler took to social media to announce that the high school would be closed on T…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: More CT Schools Switch To Remote Learning COVID-19: More CT Schools Switch To Remote Learning
Covid-19: More CT Schools Switch To Remote Learning Several more school districts in Connecticut have shifted their schedules amid the winter COVID-19 outbreak of new infections. With the Omicron variant rapidly spreading, some districts in Connecticut announced that they will be going remote or delaying start times to help curtail the spread of the virus. Related story - COVID-19: Stratford School District Announces Closure Schools impacted include: In New Haven County, the Bethany School District announced a two-hour delay for students on Monday, Jan. 3, with morning activities canceled, though staff members reported at their regular st…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Stratford School District Announces Closure COVID-19: Stratford School District Announces Closure
Covid-19: Stratford School District Announces Closure A school district in Fairfield County will be closed on Monday, Jan. 3, and Tuesday, Jan. 4, as a result of COVID-related staffing challenges. The Stratford Public School system said that "This will position us to allow impacted staff members and students to receive current test results and potentially complete their quarantine for a safer return." In an earlier announcement, the Westport School District said it will extend the winter break by one day for all students and that Monday, Jan. 3 will not be a school day for students. All faculty and staff will report on Monday. "This will…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: CT Updates Mask Requirements For Interscholastic Sports COVID-19: CT Updates Mask Requirements For Interscholastic Sports
Covid-19: CT Updates Mask Requirements For Interscholastic Sports Student-athletes in Connecticut will have to continue competing while wearing masks for the near future as the state contends with a rise in COVID-19 cases. State officials announced that they would be holding off on a plan to allow fully vaccinated student-athletes to compete indoors, citing the surge of newly confirmed infections across the region, beginning on Thursday, Dec. 23. Earlier story - COVID-19: CT Confirms 6,000 New Daily Infections; Here's Latest Breakdown Of Cases By County The new policy was developed by the Department of Public Health and the Connecticut Interscholastic At…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Person Exhibiting 'Erratic Behavior' Draws Police Presence At Two Fairfield County Schools Person Exhibiting 'Erratic Behavior' Draws Police Presence At Two Fairfield County Schools
Person Exhibiting 'Erratic Behavior' Draws Police Presence At Two Fairfield County Schools A police department in Fairfield County beefed up security at a pair of area elementary schools after a pedestrian made “idle threats” and was "exhibiting erratic behavior," officials said. Westport Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice issued an alert to the community shortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 22, advising that there was an issue that affected both the Kings Highway and Saugatuck elementary schools. According to Scarice, on Wednesday morning, an administrator at Kings Highway observed a person walking on Post Road who was “exhibiting erratic behavior and making idle threats.…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: High School In Fairfield County Closes Due To Spike In Cases COVID-19: High School In Fairfield County Closes Due To Spike In Cases
Covid-19: High School In Fairfield County Closes Due To Spike In Cases Students at a Fairfield County high school are getting a jump on their holiday recess due to a new spike of COVID-19 cases among students and staff members. The Greenwich School District announced on Wednesday, Dec. 22 that the high school would be closed and dismissed early for the rest of the year after seeing a rise in cases locally and across the state. Earlier story - COVID-19: CT Confirms 6,000 New Daily Infections; Here's Latest Breakdown Of Cases By County Students are expected to return to in-person learning on Monday, Jan. 3, pending the number of COVID-19 cases. Schools Superi…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Two Fairfield County Schools Enter 'Lock-In' During Bank Robbery Investigation Two Fairfield County Schools Enter 'Lock-In' During Bank Robbery Investigation
Two Fairfield County Schools Enter 'Lock-In' During Bank Robbery Investigation Two schools in Fairfield County entered their lock-in/lock-out protocols while police investigated a reported bank robbery and Lyft carjacking in the area. Police investigators in Bridgeport were called to the Webster Bank on Main Street shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 21, where there was a report of a robbery by a suspect who proceeded to flee in a stolen Lyft vehicle. The suspect reportedly later caused a crash on Thorme Street. No suspects have been identified and no injuries have been reported. As a result of the investigation, the Bridgeport School District temporarily plac…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Yale University Goes Remote As Cases Increase, Will Require Boosters COVID-19: Yale University Goes Remote As Cases Increase, Will Require Boosters
Covid-19: Yale University Goes Remote As Cases Increase, Will Require Boosters Yale University has moved final exams online amid concerns about the recent increase in COVID-19 cases. In a message to undergraduate students on Saturday, Dec. 18, university officials said the decision was made to allow students to return home early if they wish. "While Yale has not experienced the same increase in COVID rates as some other universities, we know that many of you are concerned about remaining on campus during the finals period," the letter, signed by officials reads. "Although the risk of transmission during in-person examinations is small, we want you to be able to go hom…

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by Nicole Valinote
Schools
CT State Police, Agencies Release Statement On New Social Media School Threats CT State Police, Agencies Release Statement On New Social Media School Threats
CT State Police, Agencies Release Statement On New Social Media School Threats As a host of fake social media posts circulating online about potential school threats on Friday, Dec. 17, two Connecticut state agencies are investigating. In a statement released on Thursday, Dec. 16, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and the Connecticut State Police reassured the public they are investigating the hoax but said they have not "yet identified any specific or credible threats to any schools within the State of Connecticut." The posts and rumors started on TikTok and have been circulating for several days across the country, making their way onto addi…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
COVID-19: Cornell University Reports Nearly 900 Student Cases In Past Week COVID-19: Cornell University Reports Nearly 900 Student Cases In Past Week
Covid-19: Cornell University Reports Nearly 900 Student Cases In Past Week Confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to increase at Cornell University a day after the university announced it was moving to Alert Level Red. According to Cornell's COVID-19 dashboard, 276 new COVID-19 cases have been reported, bringing the total number of students to test positive for COVID-19 between Tuesday, Dec. 7, and Monday, Dec. 13, to 883. Earlier report - COVID-19: Cornell Shutting Campus, Moving To 'Alert Level Red' After Rapid Spread Of Virus On Tuesday, Dec. 14, Cornell University President Martha Pollack said the university would be implementing new safety measures, includin…

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by Nicole Valinote
Schools
Connecticut School Board Member Punched, Knocked Down During Public Hearing Connecticut School Board Member Punched, Knocked Down During Public Hearing
Connecticut School Board Member Punched, Knocked Down During Public Hearing A school board member in Connecticut was punched during a contentious meeting meant to be about a high school mascot. In Hartford County, a man punched a board of education member during a special meeting held in Glastonbury to discuss the high school’s mascot, which was changed from the Tomahawks to the Guardians last year, much to the dismay of some. During the meeting, tensions rose, and a fight broke out between someone in attendance and a board of education member during a break in the mascot discussion. It is unclear what caused the fight. Last year, the district moved to change the …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
13-Year-Old Arrested For Allegedly Making Threats Against CT Schools 13-Year-Old Arrested For Allegedly Making Threats Against CT Schools
13-Year-Old Arrested For Allegedly Making Threats Against CT Schools A middle school student in Connecticut has been arrested for allegedly making threats on social media that led to the closure of a high school for several days, police announced. In New Haven County, police said that a 13-year-old teen has been arrested in connection to threats that forced the closure of Hamden High School for several days and a lockdown at the middle school he attends. Original story - Online Threat Leads To Closure Of CT High School Police said that the threats were made on Instagram before they were reported to both law enforcement and district officials. On Wednesday…

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by Zak Failla