Ticks and other pests can stay protected beneath thick snow layers — like those created by recent snowstorms, experts say.
Mariana Navarrete Villegas
Mariana Navarrete Villegas is a Community Engagement Reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, covering Hartford. She recently graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism with a master’s degree in Bilingual Journalism. Previously, she was the Community Engagement and Video Assistant at Epicenter-NYC and a Podcast Intern at The Take, Al Jazeera English’s daily news podcast. As a reporter, she has covered stories from New York to Florida, California, Panama, and Mexico, focusing on labor rights, immigration, and community care. She also hosts 'La Chismesita,' a community radio show in New York that archives oral histories through conversations with women community leaders. Originally from Mexico, Mariana spent her teenage years in Panama. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies with a minor in Psychology from Saint Leo University, where she interned at the International Rescue Committee.
Posted inBriefs
Are CT restraining orders only issued if there is physical violence?
The law expanding the domestic violence definition is named after women killed by their partners: Jennifer Farber Dulos and Jennifer Magnano.
Posted inHartford
After fatal shootings by police, Hartford community comes together
A week after the latest shooting, the shock remains, Hartford leaders say, and groups are working together to alleviate lingering trauma.
Posted inHartford
Hartford museum exhibition draws on stories from the North End
The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History’s exhibition displays graphic novels that approach the North End history from different angles.
Posted inEvents
Hartford: Community Listening Session
Community Engagement Reporter Mariana Navarrete Villegas is hosting a Listening Session on February 26, 2026, at the Park Street Library.
Posted inBriefs
Are CT residents required to show a photo ID to vote?
There are various forms of identification accepted at Connecticut polling places in order to cast a ballot.
Posted inBriefs
Do pre-COVID students qualify for free CT community college tuition aid?
The “Mary Ann Handley Award” — formerly PACT — covers the gap between grants and community college tuition and fees.
Posted inHartford
During Muslim Heritage Month, a new welcoming space is created
The Crescent Ball was meant as a safe space to exist, share a meal, listen to music, spoken word, and meet other CT Muslims.
Posted inBriefs
Does CT charge a cannabis tax for medical marijuana?
To obtain medical marijuana, patients’ health care providers must certify that they have an approved condition and patients register with CT.
Posted inBriefs
Did the US Postal Service change its postmark rules?
Some people have raised concerns about the mailing of bills, absentee ballots and other items that require a specific postmark date.
Posted inBriefs
Did homelessness in Connecticut increase by more than 40% in 2025?
CT provides a point-in-time count of the sheltered and unsheltered people in the state every year. The census is completed in January.
Posted inBriefs
Are CT vaccine requirements the same for private, public schools?
In 2021, lawmakers passed Public Act 21-6, which removed the option for new students to claim a religious exemption.
Posted inHartford
What is a doula and how can I get one in Hartford?
Here’s what you need to know about what a doula is, how much their services can cost and how to find one in Hartford.
Posted inBriefs
Did the flu variant H3N2/K emerge before this year’s vaccine was formulated?
The World Health Organization selected the components for the northern hemisphere influenza vaccine between February and March of this year.
Posted inHartford
New ‘People’s Migrant School’ in Hartford connects UConn to community
UConn and the Hartford Deportation Defense launched the ‘People’s Migrant School’ to build bridges with the city’s immigrants.