The CT Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/author/tcondon/)
Pointing to false testimony by famed state criminologist Henry Lee, two men who have spent nearly 30 years in prison for a murder they steadfastly insist they didn’t commit asked the state’s highest court on Thursday for a new trial. Continue Reading →
Jahana Hayes, the political novice whose compelling life story drew national attention, soundly defeated former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman Tuesday for the Democratic nomination to represent Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District. Continue Reading →
The task for caring for society’s most vulnerable citizens was first taken on by churches, then by towns, and now primarily by the state. So how can the state maintain its commitment to those with developmental disabilities, mental health or addiction issues and other conditions in difficult budgetary times? There are ideas out there… Continue Reading →
Oak Hill, Inc., the largest nonprofit provider of human services for the state, recently trained two group home workers, only to see them jump to the competition earlier this year. The competition is the state. Continue Reading →
The term “nonprofit organization” may well be misleading. Some might think nonprofits aren’t really businesses. Ah, but they are; indeed, some are large, intricate and highly regulated businesses. Like for-profit businesses, they need revenue to execute their missions. When that revenue falls off, they must make creative and/or hard-nosed business decisions. Continue Reading →
Public sex offender registries, created In the 1990s in response to a number of horrific crimes against children, are getting a second look as critics across the country demand changes, saying the registries are based on false assumptions, are a waste of money and do more harm than good. Continue Reading →
It was a fiasco, one that gave Connecticut and one of its oldest cities a black eye. Now we get to relive it as a new film tells the story of Susette Kelo, a woman who gained national publicity for her years-long battle to save her beloved pink cottage in New London’s Fort Trumbull neighborhood from a major redevelopment project. Continue Reading →
The Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth Thursday recommended giving regional councils of government or municipal consortiums an optional taxing power that would allow a new level of regional cooperation in the state. Third of three articles. Continue Reading →
The argument usually put forward for regionalism in Connecticut is that it can save money. And it can, but that may not be the best reason to consider metropolitan cooperation. Towns also can make money by developing their regional economies. Second of three articles. Continue Reading →
Facing years of projected state budget deficits, could a move toward metropolitan regions help save money and spur economic development, as advocates claim? What would a major step look like? And could any effort succeed against Connecticut’s long devotion to localism. First of three articles. Continue Reading →
Shawn Henning and Ralph “Ricky” Birch, have been locked up since 1989 for a gruesome 1985 murder in New Milford they steadfastly insist they didn’t commit. The state’s case, never airtight to begin with, has diminished over the years as two prosecution witnesses have recanted, key defense testimony was uncovered, and DNA testing put an unknown person at the scene. Nonetheless, a state judge turned down their petition for a new trial last year, leaving the two with a slim chance of freedom. Continue Reading →
Officials hope the trend toward transit-oriented development, or TOD, will lessen traffic congestion, reduce pollution and create dense and lively town centers that can attract bright young workers – the ones the General Electrics and Aetnas say they want. Continue Reading →
Danbury – once the Hat City – has parlayed a good location, population growth, a history of economic development efforts, a sturdy tax base and generally efficient administration into a city that is farther along in reinventing itself than a number of other Connecticut cities once dominated by single industries. Continue Reading →
At a May 22 town hall meeting on Hartford’s dire budget situation, a resident urged Mayor Luke Bronin not to file for bankruptcy, saying it would be a “death knell” for the city. Would it? Continue Reading →
The market is changing. Families are smaller. Young people are happy, at least for a time, to rent an apartment in a walkable, interesting city or town center. Many Boomers are looking to downsize. And for a quarter century, state officials have been trying to inject more affordable housing into more communities. Continue Reading →