Southampton, NY
Weather
Old Farmer's Almanac Unveils 2025-26 Winter Forecast Old Farmer's Almanac Unveils 2025-26 Winter Forecast
Old Farmer's Almanac Unveils 2025-26 Winter Forecast Winter’s first plot twist just dropped, and it points to very different scenes along the I-95 corridor and the nearby mountains. On Tuesday, Aug. 26, The Old Farmer’s Almanac released its 2025-26 US winter outlook, calling the season “mostly mild — with pockets of wild.” “Don’t lose track of your snow shovels and umbrellas,” editor Carol Connare said, noting much of the country leans near to slightly milder while the Appalachians skew colder. The outlook cites a fading La Niña shifting toward neutral, a recently peaked solar cycle, and the chance of a wobbly polar vortex to occasionally cr…

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by Joe Lombardi
Bensalem, PA
Business
Rita's Challenges Classic Fall Flavors With Newest Dessert Rita's Challenges Classic Fall Flavors With Newest Dessert
Rita's Challenges Classic Fall Flavors With Newest Dessert A popular Italian ice chain is taking on seasonal favorites like the Pumpkin Spice Latte with a new fall treat. Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is selling a limited-time dessert called Apple Butter Concrete. The eastern Pennsylvania company announced the new flavor in a news release on Monday, Aug. 25. The treat blends vanilla frozen custard with apple butter, vanilla wafers, and gooey apple pie filling. Rita's said the combination creates "an unforgettable new Concrete that captures the warmth and coziness guests look forward to" in the fall. Rita's is also bringing back its …

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by Chris Spiker
Guilford, CT
Obituaries
Guilford Firefighter, Veteran Who 'Lived Life With Intensity, Heart' Killed In I-95 Crash Guilford Firefighter, Veteran Who 'Lived Life With Intensity, Heart' Killed In I-95 Crash
Guilford Firefighter, Veteran Who 'Lived Life With Intensity, Heart' Killed In I-95 Crash Authorities have identified a 32-year-old Connecticut firefighter as the motorcyclist who died in a crash on I-95 in Guilford late last week. Michael Terrio, of Killingworth, a member of the Guilford Fire Department, was riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000 when he crashed into the back of a Volvo near Exit 59 southbound on Friday, Aug. 22, around 8:45 p.m., Connecticut State Police said. Paramedics took Terrio to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The Volvo’s driver, a 66-year-old man from Freehold, New Jersey, sustained minor injuries in the collision. The Guilford Fir…

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by Josh Lanier
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