WATERBURY – There are no Christmas decorations, no tree and scant furniture in the small apartment Dorrel Bass shares with his disabled brother, Chad. Nonetheless, it will be a cheerful Christmas in a much truer home than they’ve enjoyed since…

SOUTHBURY – A campaign encouraging residents to support local businesses while doing their holiday shopping is a hit with both shoppers and store owners. The Southbury Economic Development Commission held a Small Business Saturday event in November that encouraged residents…

NAUGATUCK – An Oxford High School baseball star who has played professionally for the past two years is opening an indoor baseball training facility on Rubber Avenue. Gus Constantino played professional independent baseball in the Kentucky Thoroughbred League and the…

PLYMOUTH – Mayor David V. Merchant is looking to help the school district with the state’s latest $800,000 cut to its Education Cost Sharing funds even more than Superintendent Martin Semmel anticipated. Semmel said during the Board of Education meeting…

Municipal leaders in Litchfield and New Haven counties are blasting the state for attempting to implement a law that requires communities surrounding Torrington and Waterbury to recommend ways the cities can improve their respective financial plights. What exactly that means,…

CHESHIRE – Parents spoke, and the district listened. Backlash over a new online learning platform forced Superintendent Jeffrey Solan to suspend its use across the district. The program was suspended because of “a combination of content issues and lack of…

WATERBURY – The spirit of gift-giving throughout the area has continued to benefit future young campers via the Greater Waterbury Campership Fund this holiday season. Contributions totaling $2,925 were donated recently, boosting the total generated for the 2017 Campership campaign…

KENT – Their costumes made it look like participants had stepped into a galaxy far, far away for Saturday’s “Star Wars Jedi Training” session. Kent Memorial Library timed the free event to coincide with the release of the latest Star…

NEWS NUGGETS MIDDLEBURY New roofs will make winter easier to bear December’s snowy weather and bitter cold days have made Public Works Director Dan Norton grateful for a capital plan that included new roofs over Shepardson Community Center and Town…

TORRINGTON – A Unionville man led city police on a short foot chase before being arrested. On Friday afternoon, just as the sun was setting, an officer heard a man and a woman fighting at a Patco gas station. The…

  STATEWIDE – Holiday shoppers are out in force, and so are state police. Increased holiday weekend patrols started Friday and will be in force through Tuesday. So far, as of Saturday morning, police report 124 speeding violations, six seatbelt…

TORRINGTON – The last day of school before Christmas break at Torringford School typically involves singing Christmas carols and having books read aloud to the students, who get to wear their pajamas to school. The annual tradition offered a new…

TORRINGTON When he was a boy, growing up on Brightwood Avenue, Ray Roulin walked to his elementary school. It was a brick building on Main Street and East Elm Street, just a few minutes away from his parents’ home. The…

TORRINGTON – Two men were arrested after one allegedly tried to hit the other with his car. Richard Paladino, 58, of 124 Hillard St., Manchester, and Robert Stewart, of 82 Darling St., Torrington, spoke on the phone. Their conversation led…

PROSPECT – The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a resubdivision of 7 Ridgewood Club Road. The parcel will be split into a 52,000-square-feet lot and a 67,000-square-foot lot for homes. The bigger lot has grading issues, but a driveway…

NAUGATUCK – As the year draws to a close, United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls has raised 63 percent of its goal of $415,000. Although the charity foundation is still shy of its goal, Executive Director Lisa Shappy said…

PROSPECT – The Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday opted out of a state law that allows temporary health care structures as an accessory use in any single-family residential zone. Chairman Gil Graveline said the law as written has “so many…

WATERBURY – City schools enrolled 45 students evacuated from Puerto Rico over the course of just 15 days this December. The Sept. 20 hurricane that slammed the U.S. island territory sparked an exodus, and many families landed in Waterbury, joining…

TORRINGTON – The Torrington Area Health District inspected the establishments listed below between Dec. 11 and Dec. 15. A minimum score of 80 is required to pass. “Pre” means the operation was inspected at its opening, after a change of…

WATERBURY Once again, Bryan Spiotti’s annual toy drive will be bringing joy to many area kids this holiday season. The Wolcott police officer started on a smaller scale about 20 years back, when he fulfilled a wish lift for a…