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Connecticut Today - September 14, 2026 · Connecticut Today

• 0:05
  P>Good morning. It's Monday, September 14th, and this is Connecticut Today, CT
• 0:09
  Insider's daily audio briefing. Catch up on Connecticut. All news, no noise
• 0:13
  in under five minutes.
• 0:14
  p>We're starting off with a quick look at the weather. After a
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  weekend of heavy rain and flooding in parts of the state, Monday
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  brings a return to sunshine and comfortable temperatures. We'll have the full
• 0:24
  weather update at the end of the briefing.
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  In today's headlines, numerous counties across Connecticut faced flash flood warnings and
• 0:31
  flood watches on Sunday morning, as heavy rain caused widespread flooding, especially
• 0:35
  in Fairfield County. The National Weather Service reported that much of the
• 0:39
  heavy rain ended by late morning. Several highways and local roads were
• 0:42
  closed due to flooding, including parts of I-985 and Route 15 in
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  Fairfield and Stamford. The weather also led to the cancellation of Norwalk's
• 0:50
  Oyster Festival and the closure of Sherwood Island State Park. Officials urged
• 0:54
  residents to avoid flooded roads and stay home until conditions improved. CT
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  insider meteorologist Dan Amarajante said the second half of Sunday would see
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  much better weather across most of the state. New State program is
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  making it easier for hundreds of Connecticut high school students to get
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  to school, work, and activities. The Connecticut Department of Transportation and the
• 1:13
  Department of Education are distributing free public bus passes to students in
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  grades 9 through 12 in about 70 school districts. The passes are
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  funded by 1 million and are being allocated based on proximity to
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  bus routes and the number of students eligible for free or reduce
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  price meals. School officials say the program will help reduce transportation barriers
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  and improve attendance. Waterbury Public Schools will receive over 2,300 passes, while
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  New Haven will get more than 2,300 as well. Each district will
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  decide how to distribute the passes to best meet student needs. State
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  lawmakers are reviewing the causes behind the delayed Democratic primary in Enfield.
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  Secretary of the State, Stephanie Thomas, told legislators that 2-0 human errors
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  in her office led to confusion over petition rules and dates, which
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  delayed the primary until September 1st. The errors involved incorrect instructions on
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  how to list petition signatures and unclear guidance on when petitions should
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  be available. The state Supreme Court ultimately allowed the primary to proceed,
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  and incumbent John Santanella won. Lawmakers discussed the need for accountability and
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  support for election confidence, with some raising concerns about the estimated 40,000
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  cost to Enfield for the special primary. Thomas said, her office has
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  strengthened internal review processes to prevent similar mistakes in the future. The
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  State Department of Transportation is moving forward with plans to overhaul the
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  Mixmaster Interchange in Waterbury, where Interstate 84 and Route 8 meet. Two
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  concepts are now under environmental review the Modern Crossover Interchange and the
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  Naugatuck River Shift. Both options aim to address aging infrastructure and improve
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  safety and traffic flow. The environmental review is expected to take about
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  three years, with a final decision in 2029. Construction on the main
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  interchange is not expected to begin until the mid 230s or early
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  2040s. The estimated cost for the project ranges from 3 billion to
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  5 billion. Federal prosecutors are seeking a lengthy prison sentence for Constantinos
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  Costa Diamantis, Connecticut's former top school construction official. Diamantis was convicted last
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  year of bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and making false statements. Prosecutors say he
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  took bribes, forced contractors to hire his daughter, and steered contracts to
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  companies that paid him off. They are asking for up to 12
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  years and seven months in prison, citing the duration and seriousness of
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  his crimes. Diamantis is requesting home detention p>And
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  probation, citing his age and personal circumstances. He is scheduled to be
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  sentenced on Thursday and faces a second trial next year on additional
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  public corruption charges. And now for the full weather forecast. Connecticut starts
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  the week with mostly sunny skies and comfortable temperatures. Inland areas will
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  see highs in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees, while the
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  shoreline will be a bit cooler in the mid to upper 70s.
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  Humidity remains slow and a light northwest breeze will make it feel
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  like early fall. Then next few days should stay mostly dry, with
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  a chance of showers returning by midweek. Thanks for listening. For more
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  local news, visit ctsider.com. This digest was partially generated by AI and
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  then reviewed and edited by our newsroom staff.