Where We Live

Pedestrian deaths reached a 40-year high in 2021, according to a preliminary report from the Governors Highway Safety Association. In Connecticut, pedestrian deaths have more than doubled since 2011. The State Department of Transportation says this due in part to larger and heavier vehicles on the road, and more reckless driving during the pandemic. This hour, we talk to CTDOT and one town enginee...

Lifeguarding isn’t just a part time summer job; for many, it’s serious life saving work. Today, we explore the lifeguard shortage nationwide and how it impacts residents in our state. Data show that drownings are on the rise. We hear from the American Lifeguard Association about the need for more lifeguards, and better water competency. Did you ever work as a lifeguard or have an encou...

The National Marine Fisheries Service says seaweed farming is the fastest-growing aquaculture in the U.S. Suzie Flores and her husband Jay Douglass launched  Stonington Kelp Co.  in 2017, and now run one of the largest commercial kelp farms in Connecticut. Stonington Kelp Co. is also a "regenerative ocean farm." Kelp helps to absorb carbon and nitrogen from the water as it grows, "result...

Beauty standards change with each generation, but today’s standards of beauty seem to be more unachievable than ever. Today, we talk about how the beauty industry and its influencers are causing a rise in cosmetic surgeries. Beauty reporter Jessica DeFino joins us. She writes the “ Unpublishable ," a beauty critical newsletter. Think about the type of beauty products you consume. What...

The misogyny surrounding the  Amber Heard-Johnny Depp trial  has horrified advocates for survivors of intimate partner violence. This hour on Where We Live, we look at implications for survivors and the setback to the #MeToo movement. We hear from a survivor on how coping mechanisms can look like emotional detachment, and why it’s misleading to judge a survivor on appearances. We a...

Plans for a new Amazon distribution center in Waterbury are  in the works . The site would be the twelfth distribution or sorting center to land in the state in as many years. Amazon came to Connecticut in 2010, and currently has more than 18,000 full- and part-time jobs. This hour, Connecticut Public reporter Ali Oshinskie has the latest on the plans for Waterbury and local pushback. Plus, w...

Governor Lamont has signed three bills into law regarding children’s mental health. Today, we talk to the Connecticut Child Advocate Sarah Eagan and hear from a social worker in schools. The laws   target workforce support for mental health professionals, an expansion of mental health care in schools as well as more funding for a mobile crisis response. How would you like to see mental...

The number of homeschoolers in Connecticut has increased since the start of the pandemic. The Connecticut State Department of Education reported a "slight decrease" in students returning to public school in 2020, "attributed to an increase in homeschooling." Families are asked to log their "exit" from public school with the agency. There were 550 exits reported in 2019, and that number rose to "ar...

Trees are more than just ornamental, they provide benefits to all of us. Today, we hear from Hartford City forester Heather Dionne. Tree planting is part of the city’s Climate Stewardship Initiative. We explore the role of trees in Connecticut’s cities. Later, William Bryant Logan, author of Sprout Lands: Tending the Endless Gift of Trees joins us. He is on the faculty of the New York...

The state of Connecticut has announced a $3 million dollar summer tourism campaign titled ‘ Find Your Vibe in Connecticut .’ But how does this compare to other New England states that boast  their  beaches, mountains and plenty of lobster? This hour on Where We Live, we discuss the reach of the new campaign and its goals, as well as the steady decline in tourism spending by t...

Randall Horton is an associate professor of English at the University of New Haven. His new memoir,  Dead Weight  details his time incarcerated. Today, we talk about his journey from incarcerated person to English professor. Horton’s numerous felony convictions made establishing a career in academia challenging, at best. Have your or someone you know navigated transitioning out of...

Standardized testing is a normal part of the school year, but what does this data really tell us about how children are performing? Today, Akilah Alleyne from the Center for American Progress, joins us to talk about standardized testing in local schools. Many families invest considerable time and money to make sure their student performs well on these college entrance exams, but several universiti...

Sandy Hook survivor Mary Ann Jacobs was working in the school library in 2012. On Wednesday, she stood on the steps of the State Capitol and asked, "How can we still be having the same conversations about access to guns after ten years?" This hour, we hear directly from three Connecticut teachers about how they are responding to  the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas . Dr. David Bosso, a socia...

Hartford HealthCare is in the pilot phase of an innovative “food as medicine” treatment program called  food farmacy . This hour on Where We Live, we hear from a cardiac patient referred by a Hartford Hospital cardiologist to the free farmacy pantry. The program is offered to food-insecure patients and their families, and is aimed to improve outcomes in patients with diabetes, hea...

Before it was Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living, it was the Hartford Retreat for the Insane. Today Hank Schwartz, joins us to share the history of this Connecticut mental health center, 200 years after its opening. Although asylums have a reputation for inhumane treatment towards the mentally ill, the Hartford Retreat was a pioneer in treating all of its patients with respect and digni...

Former State Department of Public Health Commissioner Renée Coleman-Mitchell has filed a federal lawsuit against the State of Connecticut, alleging her firing in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic was the result of racial discrimination. This hour, All Things Considered host John Henry Smith fills in for Lucy Nalpathanchil to speak with Coleman-Mitchell, who details her allegations. T...

Spring has sprung and it’s time for our spring gardening hour! Today, horticulturist and author Tovah Martin joins us to answer all of your gardening questions and to share how to create a garden to fulfill all the senses. Tovah is the author of  The Garden in Every Sense and Season .  Whether you have a seven acre property like Tovah, or a container garden on your patio, there&rsq...

Asian American and Pacific Islander history will be required in Connecticut public schools by the 2025-26 school year, according to a new, soon-to-be-signed mandate. The measure was backed by  Make Us Visible CT , a grassroots advocacy group working to "build capacity in the Connecticut school system to develop a robust and inclusive Asian American and Pacific Islander curriculum." This hour,...

The  baby formula shortage  has families scrambling. The crisis began after Abbott recalled some powdered baby formulas in February, following investigations into a whistleblower’s tip off in October last year. Four infants were  hospitalized  with bacterial infections and two have died. This hour on Where We Live, we’ll talk with a researcher of feminist economics...

More than $100 million in federal infrastructure funds will go towards protecting and preserving Long Island Sound. Hear from Soundkeeper Bill Lucey about spending plans, Save the Sound's priorities, and why oysters are so unique. Plus, Norm Bloom of Copps Island Oysters explains why conservation is his business; and Tessa Getchis with the Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension Program provides...

Campaign season is underway in Connecticut. This hour, we speak with incumbent Governor Ned Lamont about his first term and his reelection campaign. The recently-signed state budget delivers $660 million in tax cuts, but  The Mirror's Keith Phaneuf reports  "about $364 million or 55% of the tax relief offered in the latest budget expires after this fiscal year." We'll discuss the budget,...

Sy Montgomery has authored over 30 books about animals. Today, she joins us to talk about her latest book,  The Hawk’s Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty .  We learn about Sy’s lessons in falconry and what it takes to handle these incredible creatures. Later, we hear from A Place Called Hope Rehabilitation Center, a raptor rehabilitator located in Killingworth. If you’r...

Microbeads were banned in the U.S. in 2015, but tiny bits of plastic known as microplastics, and another manmade family of chemicals called PFAS, are turning up in our environment and in our bodies. The Connecticut Sea Grant identified both materials as  contaminants of emerging concern  this year. This hour, we hear about the efforts to track the prevalence and impact of PFAS and microp...

A  new report  on hospital costs by Hearst Connecticut shows widely different prices for the same procedure at hospitals statewide. And insurers are negotiating astoundingly varied prices for – say – a C-section or an hour of critical care. To a consumer, the hospitals would appear comparable in quality and are located just miles apart. Certainly, shopping for healthcare is d...

The Republican and Democratic state conventions have concluded and today, Mark Pazniokas joins us to break down the state conventions. The Republican convention endorsed socially moderate  Themis Klarides for the U.S. Senate . Democrats have endorsed a  diverse pool of candidates  for several state positions. Later, we hear from Andrea Comer of the Social Equity Council and get an u...