Washington – Despite President Obama’s push for gun control, his administration is likely to continue to be in the dark about gun ownership patterns in the United States and the role guns are playing in society. That means the public won’t have a clue either. “No one is keeping records of this stuff and that’s […]
January 25, 2013 @ 12:00 am
Posted inNews
A difficult conversation about kids, safety and costs
Six weeks to the day after a gunman invaded Sandy Hook Elementary School, legislators began a delicate conversation Friday about how far Connecticut must go to fortify schools, safeguard children and reassure parents. Experts and laymen, mothers and cops, teachers and budget officers shared their views on technology and best practices, magnetic locks and ballistic […]
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Nonpartisan analysts say state budget deficit approaches $140M
The state budget deficit is more than twice the size Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration reported this week, according to a new analysis released Friday by nonpartisan legislative analysts. The $138.6 million shortfall projected by the Office of Fiscal Analysis still falls short of the threshold needed to force Malloy to draft another mitigation plan, […]
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Supporters say court-ordered mental-health care could help — but not stop extreme acts of violence
New York has Kendra’s Law, named for a woman pushed in front of a train by a man with untreated schizophrenia. Laura’s Law in California was named for a college student working in a behavioral health clinic when a client shot and killed her. Forty-four states have laws allowing for court-ordered outpatient treatment of certain […]
Posted inEducation
The question post-Newtown: How to keep schools safe?
When it comes to security systems at its schools, New Haven officials say cost has never been a factor for their cash-strapped district. It’s not just that they prioritize security: The state pays almost the entire bill to install things like cameras, buzzer systems and locks for every classroom. Security infrastructure is a cost the state […]
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BRRRR Part 2: Commuting in the Cold
By Georgia Lobb BRRRRRRRR at the Bridgeport bus terminal this week. This morning, my brother who lives in Washington, DC, posted on his Tumblr: “I am the person who runs to the metro in the cold.” I texted him to ask why he was running, not walking. “The cold! It’s the reason I don’t take […]
Posted inEducation
School safety, by the numbers
Thousands of children each year are disciplined at school for fighting, making threats, bringing a weapon to school or other “serious” confrontations, reports the State Department of Education. During the 2010-11 school year, the most recent year for which data is available, 14,049 fights would take place at school; 1,203 students would get into trouble […]
Posted inHealth
Flu claims 17 lives, continues to rage in Connecticut
The flu continues to rage in Connecticut with the state now reporting 3,248 confirmed cases and 17 deaths as of Thursday in an early and widespread outbreak. State public health officials say the number of flu cases is likely much larger than reported because most people don’t have tests done to confirm the flu or […]
Posted inEducation
Reconsidering which grades students take state standardized tests
The State Board of Education’s legislative package includes a recommendation that high school students take the state’s standardized tests their junior year instead of in their sophomore year as is now required. This change would align the state’s testing schedule with other states that are also implementing the Common Core State Standards. The recommendation — […]