Gov. Malloy – Storm Sandy aid to CT tops $50 million

Milford, CT, November 17, 2012 – The constant beating of this building by Sandy’s wind and waves destroyed the electric service entry and more. FEMA opened Disaster Recovery Centers near the areas hardest hit, to help Sandy survivors rebuild safer and stronger homes. Photo by Marilee Caliendo/FEMA

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy today (Feb. 22) announced that more than $50 million in federal assistance has been approved, to date, to help individuals and businesses with disaster expenses since President Obama approved the Disaster Declaration following Storm Sandy.

“I want to thank FEMA for extending the deadline to apply for disaster assistance, not once but twice,” said Gov. Malloy. “With over 12,000 claims filed, clearly many residents took advantage of the help they were entitled to.”

“Getting back to normal after a disaster like this is paramount, and the assistance from FEMA was undeniably a big factor for many in making that possible,” the governor said.

A total of 12,380 Connecticut residents registered for federal disaster assistance during the application period that ended Feb. 11.

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Congressman Joe Courtney on looming budget cuts

Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney.

Dear Friend,

Last Friday, with sequestration’s across-the-board, indiscriminate cuts looming and a host of outstanding issues still unaddressed, Speaker Boehner called a vote on whether the House should adjourn and return home for the week.

I voted against adjourning and said, “As precious seconds tick away, the House should be in Washington doing its job and finding a compromise to protect our economy. Speaker Boehner should reverse course, and keep the House in session.”

Sequestration was designed to spur bipartisan action in Congress to address our long-term fiscal outlook. When used in the past, that is precisely what happened. In fact, former-Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX) said: “It was never the objective of Gramm-Rudman [legislation that used sequestration in 1985] to trigger the sequester; the objective of Gramm-Rudman was to have the threat of the sequester force compromise and action.”

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Connecticut militia members sue state

Photo courtesy of 1st Company Governor’s Foot Guard

By Zachary Janowski | Raising Hale

Members of one of Connecticut’s ceremonial militia units are suing the state for allegedly seizing $10,000 worth of private ammunition, terminating a lease and failing to pay members for training.

State officials claim the unit – the 1st Company Governor’s Foot Guard – has not kept its weapons and ammunition secure, and that it was within the state’s right to terminate the lease and not pay the members for training.

The militia unit’s board of trustees do not control the 1st Company; under a unique statutory arrangement dating back to 1885, the state created a special corporate entity so the trustees could own and maintain the unit’s armory.

Although the unit is ceremonial in function today, it still falls under the command of Brig. Gen. Thaddeus Martin, adjutant general of the Connecticut Military Department.

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Employers – register now for CT DOL job fairs

“Our Connecticut Career Fair series traditionally attracts thousands of job seekers and hundreds of businesses each year …” – CT Labor Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer. Photo source www.careerguidetips.com

The Connecticut Department of Labor’s “Connecticut Career Fair” series returns this spring, with regional events scheduled for Manchester, East Hartford and Danbury – including one specifically for Connecticut residents who have served in the Armed Services, the Connecticut National Guard and the Reserves.

“This is the agency’s 17th year providing job and career fairs with the goal of matching employers with potential employees,” said State Labor Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer.

“Our Connecticut Career Fair series traditionally attracts thousands of job seekers and hundreds of businesses each year, and each event offers excellent opportunities for companies to meet qualified, job-ready candidates who have technical, administrative, managerial or production backgrounds,” Commissioner Palmer said.

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UConn plans to revive Spring Weekend

By Brenda Sullivan | HTNP News Editor

For decades, Spring Weekend – the celebration enjoyed by the Storrs UConn campus in the days between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of final exams – has been a black eye for the university.

Over the years, Spring Weekend became synonymous with binge drinking, off-campus (including out-of-state) party crashers, cars set on fire, reports of rape, and even violence resulting in death.

The problem wasn’t with the university-sanctioned events carefully organized by students. Trouble brewed in the mobs that congregated over the three days, mainly at apartment complexes on Hunting Lodge Road adjacent to UConn’s north campus (as well as within UConn’s X-Lot.) Triage units were stationed at Carriage House Apartments, for example, to deal with injuries and other emergencies, such as alcohol poisoning.

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CT Dept of Motor Vehicles closed Feb 11-12

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be closed Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 11 and 12 in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday, which is a legal State holiday.

Update – The CT Department of Motor Vehicles has cancelled road skills testing at all offices Wednesday, Feb.13 as a safety precaution, due to snow piles/snow banks that can create hazards for pedestrians and blind spots for motorists at intersections. Road tests are expected to resume Thursday, Feb. 14.

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be closed Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 11 and 12 in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday, which is a legal State holiday.

The DMV will re-open for business at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

Also, on Friday, Feb. 15, DMV major customer service offices will close at 12:30 p.m. to observe President Washington’s Birthday; offices will reopen Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7:45 a.m.

Some AAA offices will be open for processing license renewals on Monday and Tuesday, including Manchester, 1500 G Pleasant Valley Road.

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Gov Malloy lifts travel ban, asks President to declare emergency

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has asked President Obama to declare an emergency in Connecticut in the wake of the blizzard that hit the Northeast Feb. 8 and 9, 2013.

By Brenda Sullivan | HTNP News Editor

Gov. Malloy has submitted a request that President Obama declare an emergency in the state of Connecticut in the wake of the blizzard that hit this state Feb. 8 and 9.

“As we continue with the recovery from this historic winter storm, I am asking the federal government to provide us assistance with this process,” said Gov. Malloy. “If granted, this declaration would provide much needed help to our state.”

An emergency declaration allows for direct federal assistance, including possible snow removal equipment and personnel, power generation, and commodities but does not provide federal disaster funding.

However, since most, if not all, counties in Connecticut are digging out from record or near record snow fall, a preliminary damage assessment will be conducted to determine which counties may be eligible for disaster funding.

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Gov Malloy – travel ban remains in effect

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, in a press conference held at 11 a.m. today (Feb. 9) advised residents that a travel ban remains in effect today, until further notice, so that roads can be cleared for emergency vehicles.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, in a press conference held at 11 a.m. today (Feb. 9) advised residents that a travel ban remains in effect today, until further notice, so that roads can be cleared for emergency vehicles.

Many roads in the state are impassable because of stalled cars and/or record-breaking accumulations of snow.

Gov. Malloy also warned that clearing roads is likely to “go on for a number of days.”

He also warned residents about the dangers of carbon-monoxide poisoning since snowfall and snow drifts can block ventilation.

Meanwhile, weather forecasters say the blizzard warning has been lifted in the following counties: Middlesex, New London and New Haven.

However, light snow continues to fall and chilly temperatures are still a concern. The wind-chill factor means the temperatures are effectively in the single-digits to the 20s. The wind-chill temperature in Storrs-Mansfield, for example, was 6 degrees as of 11 a.m.

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