Newark, NJ
Business
NJ Spends Least On Hair Care In Nation, New Study Finds NJ Spends Least On Hair Care In Nation, New Study Finds
NJ Spends Least On Hair Care In Nation, New Study Finds The rising cost of a haircut is hitting wallets harder in some Northeast states than others, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of States Where People Spend the Most & Least on Hair Care on Wednesday, Aug. 20. The personal finance website compared the average price of men's barbershop visits and women's salon services in all 50 states to median household incomes. The study found Pennsylvanians spend about 1.42% of their income on hair care, ranking 11th nationwide. New York followed close behind at 17th (1.34%), while Massachusetts placed 20th (1.31%). …

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by Chris Spiker
Hartford, CT
Business
CT Ranks Among Nation's Worst Tippers, Study Finds: Here's Why CT Ranks Among Nation's Worst Tippers, Study Finds: Here's Why
CT Ranks Among Nation's Worst Tippers, Study Finds: Here's Why Residents across the Northeast are earning high incomes but leaving some of the nation's lowest tips, according to a new study. Payment processing company BLogic Systems released a list of the 10 worst states for tipping. The analysis looked at average tip percentages, waitstaff wages, and public attitudes toward gratuities, combining them into a "Generosity Index." Connecticut landed third-worst nationwide, with an average tip of 19.8% and a Generosity Index score of 25.1 out of 100. The Constitution State's average income is $78,820, yet 92.4% of residents reported "tipping fati…

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by Chris Spiker
North Branford, CT
Police & Fire
Egg Shells Help Solve North Branford Fatal OUI Crash; Driver To Serve 10 Years Egg Shells Help Solve North Branford Fatal OUI Crash; Driver To Serve 10 Years
Egg Shells Help Solve North Branford Fatal OUI Crash; Driver To Serve 10 Years A Florida man will spend the next decade in prison for a deadly drunk driving crash in North Branford that killed a man walking home from work, authorities said.  James Black, 42, of Myakka City, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, with 10 years to be served behind bars and five years of probation. The sentence comes after he admitted to hitting and killing 67-year-old David Horbal while speeding along Foxon Road. Prosecutors said Black had been drinking at a nearby bar before getting behind the wheel of his pickup truck. He was driving 75 to 80 miles per hour when he struck Horbal, w…

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by Josh Lanier
Suffield, CT
Police & Fire
State Investigating Inmate's Death At MacDougall-Walker Prison State Investigating Inmate's Death At MacDougall-Walker Prison
State Investigating Inmate's Death At MacDougall-Walker Prison State authorities are investigating after an inmate at a Connecticut prison died.  According to the state Department of Corrections, employees at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution removed the man from his cell around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, and took him to an area hospital, where he later died.  Officials did not release the person's name or speculate on what happened before he was taken out of the cell.  The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. 

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by Josh Lanier
Vernon-Rockville, CT
Police & Fire
Middle-Aged Man Rescued From Vernon Playground Slide, Learns He’s Not Age-Appropriate Middle-Aged Man Rescued From Vernon Playground Slide, Learns He’s Not Age-Appropriate
Middle-Aged Man Rescued From Vernon Playground Slide, Learns He’s Not Age-Appropriate A 40-year-old Connecticut man who is young at heart but middle-aged in body had to be rescued after he got stuck in a tube slide.  Firefighters were called to Northeast School on East Street in Vernon, where the man became wedged in a plastic slide around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16.  The man was found “feet and head first” inside the slide’s middle section, forcing rescuers to dismantle it to free him. This afternoon, just after 4:30 pm the Town of Vernon Fire Department, Vernon EMS, and Vernon PD were dispatched to... Posted by Town of Vernon Fire Department on Satu…

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by Josh Lanier
Danbury, CT
Police & Fire
ICE Arrests 65 In CT In Retaliatory Operation, Danbury, Stamford Leaders Decry Tactics ICE Arrests 65 In CT In Retaliatory Operation, Danbury, Stamford Leaders Decry Tactics
ICE Arrests 65 In CT In Retaliatory Operation, Danbury, Stamford Leaders Decry Tactics Federal immigration agents launched a sweeping, multi-day raid across Connecticut last week, arresting 65 people in what officials openly admitted was a direct response to the state’s new sanctuary law. The move drew swift condemnation from community leaders, who accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of spreading fear through intimidation. ICE’s Boston field office confirmed the crackdown — dubbed “Operation Broken Trust” — was designed to send a warning to lawmakers after Connecticut passed the Trust Act in May. The law limits cooperation between local police and federal immigra…

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by Josh Lanier
Hartford, CT
Business
Cracker Barrel Unveils New Logo, Menu Changes Despite Large Fan Pushback Cracker Barrel Unveils New Logo, Menu Changes Despite Large Fan Pushback
Cracker Barrel Unveils New Logo, Menu Changes Despite Large Fan Pushback Cracker Barrel is rolling out sweeping updates, even though many loyal fans say they want things left the way they were. The Tennessee-based chain unveiled its first new logo in nearly 50 years on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The familiar image of a man sitting beside a barrel is gone, replaced with a simplified, text-only design. Cracker Barrel said the refreshed look is even closer to the company's early days, when it also had a text-only logo. "Anchored in Cracker Barrel's signature gold and brown tones, the updated visuals will appear across menus and marketing collateral, including the…

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by Chris Spiker
Torrington, CT
Business
Walgreens To Close Torrington Pharmacy Along With 2 More CT Locations Walgreens To Close Torrington Pharmacy Along With 2 More CT Locations
Walgreens To Close Torrington Pharmacy Along With 2 More CT Locations Walgreens is not finished with its round of Connecticut closings. The company announced this week that it would close three more stores in the Nutmeg state, as the pharmacy giant reduces its nationwide footprint.  A company spokesperson said Walgreens would close stores in Hamden, Meriden, and Torrington in the coming weeks.  The company has already shut down eight locations across Connecticut this year, including East Hartford, East Haven, New Britain, and New Milford. The schedule for the next round of closures is:  The Walgreens at 1191 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden wi…

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by Josh Lanier
Tysons, VA
Business
Massive $6.2B Merger Would Reshape Local TV: See Which Stations Are Affected Massive $6.2B Merger Would Reshape Local TV: See Which Stations Are Affected
Massive $6.2B Merger Would Reshape Local TV: See Which Stations Are Affected Two companies that together own more than 260 local TV stations have agreed to a massive merger that could reshape their industry. Nexstar Media Group will acquire Tysons, Virginia-based TEGNA in a $6.2 billion cash deal, the companies announced in a joint news release on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Nexstar will purchase TEGNA for $22 per share, a 31% premium over TEGNA's 30-day average stock price before reports of the deal surfaced. The overlap is significant in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, where Nexstar and TEGNA already own major affiliates. If approved, the merge…

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by Chris Spiker
Trenton, NJ
News
Trump Is Blocking Crime Victim Funds Over Immigration Laws: NJ Fights Back Trump Is Blocking Crime Victim Funds Over Immigration Laws: NJ Fights Back
Trump Is Blocking Crime Victim Funds Over Immigration Laws: NJ Fights Back New Jersey is leading a coalition of 21 attorneys general from states including New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts in suing the Trump Administration over what officials call unlawful conditions placed on federal funding for crime victims, officials announced Monday, Aug. 18. The lawsuit challenges the Trump Administration’s move to withhold Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant money from states unless they comply with federal immigration enforcement priorities, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.  VOCA funds are used for advocacy services, sexual assault forensic exams, funera…

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by Cecilia Levine
Worcester, MA
News
MA Named Best State To Live In, New Study Says: Here's Why MA Named Best State To Live In, New Study Says: Here's Why
MA Named Best State To Live In, New Study Says: Here's Why From the best schools in the nation to some of the highest incomes, several Northeast states are among the best places to live, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of "Best States to Live In" on Monday, Aug. 11. The study ranked all 50 states using 51 measures of livability, from housing affordability and income growth to education, health, and safety. Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said it's important to look beyond just economic factors. "When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices, and…

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by Chris Spiker
Norwalk, CT
Business
Multiple Wegmans Cheese Products Recalled Over Listeria Fears Multiple Wegmans Cheese Products Recalled Over Listeria Fears
Multiple Wegmans Cheese Products Recalled Over Listeria Fears A popular cheese sold at a supermarket with locations across the East Coast has been pulled from shelves following a supplier alert that triggered a multi-state recall. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. announced it is recalling its Medium Camembert Soft Ripened Cheese and several products containing the cheese due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.  The bacterium can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.  Healthy individuals may experience short-term symptoms including high fever, sev…

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by Joe Lombardi