WATERBURY – On a recent Tuesday night only days after the Thanksgiving holiday, Steve Strand observed a scene not unfamiliar in public school classrooms. Strand, the school district’s director of teaching and learning, stood in the media center at Crosby…

WATERBURY – The Naugatuck River has been tied to the economic health of the Valley since the 18th century, when its waters were first used for industrial hydropower. Now, as Waterbury and its suburbs begin to pull themselves out of…

WATERBURY – James C. Smith retired Sunday with confidence that the bank his father started in the height of the Great Depression stands on solid footing for continued growth. Smith, on his final earnings call in November, celebrated 32 consecutive…

TORRINGTON – A Torrington man’s attempt to flee from police after a motor vehicle stop didn’t last long. On Dec. 21, Torrington police attempted to stop James Crowell on New Litchfield Street but he fled, according to police. Officer Matthew…

MORRIS – State police are investigating a report of a stolen firearm from a locked vehicle parked on South Street in Morris. State police from Troop L responded to Morris on Dec. 26 for the report. The firearm was reported…

WATERBURY – The city’s growing Albanian community is asking for its own cemetery. The Albanian American Cultural and Islamic Center, which runs a mosque on Columbia Boulevard, has applied for zoning permits to build a cemetery on a 7.4-acre wooded…

TORRINGTON – How sustainable is Torrington? A new statewide initiative could help the city determine how it’s doing on several areas and how it compares statewide to other cities and towns. The City Council voted on Dec. 18 to join…

Brass Tacks is a weekly feature of insider news and notes from around the region. BARKHAMSTED – The death of astronaut Bruce McCandless, who completed the first untethered space walk in 1984, has rekindled memories of the glory days of…

Brass Tacks is a weekly feature of insider news and notes from around the region. NEW HAVEN – It’s good to be king, if you have a kingdom. Wilson Figueroa may call himself a West Haven resident, but his other…

Brass Tacks is a weekly feature of insider news and notes from around the region. HARTFORD – When a radio reporter asked Gov. Dannel P. Malloy last week if any New Year’s resolutions, he quipped: “Not to have any resolutions…

Brass Tacks is a weekly feature of insider news and notes from around the region. NAUGATUCK – Naugatuck Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess has a common New Year’s resolution – to improve his physical fitness dramatically – but unusual goals….

WOLCOTT – The town plans to levy a supplemental tax on residents rather than cut spending to cover the loss of $1.9 million in state funds. During a workshop with the Board of Education, the Town Council tentatively agreed to…

WATERBURY – When Mayor Neil M. O’Leary convinced the Board of Aldermen in 2014 to pay $2.7 million to buy the Rose Hill estate, he anticipated a quick resale. Three years later, O’Leary said he will soon list the property…

LITCHFIELD – A woman in her 30s suffered injuries that were not life-threatening Friday in a rollover crash on East Litchfield Road. East Litchfield Fire Chief Mark Cattey said initial reports had the driver trapped inside but an off-duty Torrington…

MIDDLEBURY – Lanxess-acquired Chemtura and Olymbec, a Montreal firm that owns the property on Benson Road, want to add more tenants, First Selectman Edward B. St. John said. Additionally, Raymond and Penny Albini’s 10,000-square-foot funeral home and crematory, set back…

MORRIS – After 27 months of business in East Morris, Cardinal Grill and Como Bakery II apparently has closed for good. The restaurant owned by Nicole Diorio of Morris closed in late November due to a medical emergency and was…

TORRINGTON – An argument ended with an overturned Christmas tree and charges for a city couple. Two city police officers responded to 911 calls made by Brooke Richardson, 32, of 37 Winthrop St. In a report of the incident, one…

SOUTHBURY – The Rev. Scott Nessel, pastor of St. James Lutheran Church, left the gathering area by the building’s main entrance Friday morning, before walking through a brand new hallway with offices off both sides. The hallway leads to a…

WATERTOWN – Town and education officials are making cuts to their budgets in response to unexpected reductions in state aid after what was an already tumultuous budget season. The Town Council at a recent meeting voted to take $639,228 from…

WATERBURY – Seven adults and 12 children were displaced when a fire ripped through the top floor of a multifamily apartment building in the South End Friday night. The fire was reported about 10:30 p.m., Fire Chief David Martin said….