Students of Shuttered Nursing School Sue State Officials for Overreach
Former students of a now-shuttered for-profit nursing school in Connecticut have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that two state agencies invalidated their course credits, withheld licenses, and damaged their professional reputations. The nine former students of Stone Academy — which closed suddenly earlier this year and has been subject to state investigations ever since — […]
The Pandemic Changed Their Lives – And Brought Them Closer Together
A patch of dirt in the northwest corner of their back yard, bounded by a chain link fence, a stone wall and a garage that houses feral cats, has become a happy place for Gladis Castro, 57, and her daughter Carla, 27. The Danbury mother and daughter have found purpose and meaning, and built a […]
No Longer A Pipe Dream: State In Line For $150m To Replace Lead Service Lines
As soon as he heard that President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act would include more than $4 billion to replace lead water pipes in the country, Joseph Lanzafame, New London’s public utilities director, knew two things: First, no matter how much money Washington spent on the undertaking, it wouldn’t be enough. And second, Lanzafame knew he […]
Winning Over Skeptics: More Police Departments Enlist Social Workers For Crisis Intervention
The 911 call came in from a parent whose son was threatening to kill himself. Typically, a police officer will race to a call like this, assess and stabilize the situation, and most likely request an ambulance to take the child away, leaving the family to pick up the pieces. In Milford earlier this year, […]
After Pentagon Reports Spike In Military Sexual Assaults, An Embattled CT Survivor Shares Her Story To Help Others
After being raped multiple times in the military, Linda Davidson feels so defeated that she has tried to take her own life. “Every day, I look in the mirror, and I hate what I see,” said the Air Force veteran. “I’ve been destroyed by serving my country and am tired of fighting an endless battle,” […]
The Healing Powers Of The Great Outdoors
When Herb Virgo spends time on the trails in Hartford’s Keney Park, he feels different. There’s a “heightened sense of wellbeing, a feeling of connectedness,” he said of spending time outside at the nearly 693-acre park in Hartford’s North End. “There are portions of the park that you can visit that completely make you feel […]
After Stillbirth, Undocumented Woman Organizes Partnership To Help Others Find Better Care
When Laura Garcia was pregnant with her third child, a boy she named Matias, she had symptoms that made her uneasy. Her nails turned purple, her feet were swollen and she was vomiting. Undocumented and uninsured, she sought care in a community clinic. “They told me it’s normal,” said Garcia of Norwalk. But one day […]
The Unknown Puts Offspring At Risk Of Sickle Cell Disease
Most Connecticut residents who carry a trait for sickle cell disease don’t know it, resulting in thousands of people unwittingly risking having a child born with the debilitating illness, according to sickle cell disease specialists. The reasons for this vary: there’s a lack of knowledge about results of newborn testing for the trait, parents don’t […]
Race, Economics, Environment Continue To Drive State’s Asthma Disparities
Kamyle Dunn used to sleep with her hand resting on her mother’s chest so she could feel it expand and contract and know that her mom hadn’t stopped breathing during the night. Dunn’s mother, Maria Cotto, has long had severe asthma. Dunn inherited the condition, though she has mostly grown out of it as an […]
With 1 In 3 College Students Nationwide Facing Food Insecurity, Colleges Respond
Leslie Argueta is a 21-year-old first-generation college student at Goodwin University who plans to work with children and families in need. It’s a profession for which her own life experience has prepared her. When Argueta was 3, she emigrated from El Salvador with her family, settling in East Hartford. In Argueta’s first year of college, […]