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Connecticut Today - Oct. 6, 2026 · Connecticut Today

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  P>Good morning. It's Tuesday, October 6th, and this is Connecticut Today, CT
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  InStider's daily audio briefing. Catch up on Connecticut. All news, no noise
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  in under five minutes. We're starting off with a quick look at
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  the weather. Tuesday brings cool, sunny, and breezy conditions across Connecticut, with
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  afternoon temperatures struggling to reach 60 degrees in many areas. Stay tuned
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  for the full forecast at the end of this briefing. In today's
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  headlines, Connecticut's only psychiatric hospital for children, Solnet South in Middletown, is
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  facing serious challenges. Some children who are ready for discharge remain at
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  the hospital because there are no suitable placements available. Five children have
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  stayed longer than a year, and staff injuries are common, with 38
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  out of 159 direct care workers on workers compensation at the end
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  of July. An independent monitor describes the facility as being in general
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  disrepair, citing issues like unrepaired holes in the roof, hazardous seclusion rooms,
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  and broken fixtures. Staffing shortages have led to reduced therapy and recreation
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  for patients, and administrators have capped admissions, leaving a daily waiting list.
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  UConn Health, which took over the hospital in April, says it is
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  working to stabilize conditions and improve safety for both patients and staff.
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  At Cornell University, a sexual assault allegation from 2024 has led to
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  a lawsuit and national attention. One of the seven men named in
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  the lawsuit, known as the Cornell 7, is Diego Sarabia, a Bethel
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  resident and Bethel High School graduate. University President Michael Kotlikoff called the
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  past week the most difficult in Cornell's history and said, quote, We
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  owe it to Jane Doe and to survivors of assault to get
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  this right. Near Governor Kathy Hoshuel has appointed The state's attorney general
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  as special prosecutor to investigate. The university's Board of Trustees will also
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  launch an outside review of how the case was handled. Kotlikoff said
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  Cornell will make changes to prevention, support, and investigative processes without waiting
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  for the review to conclude. Rising gasoline prices tied to the war
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  in Iran have Connecticut Republicans calling for a gas tax holiday ahead
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  of the 2026 state elections. The average price of gasoline in Connecticut
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  rose from 2.91 per gallon in late February to 4.46 per gallon
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  in early October, according to AAA Northeast. Republican leaders are urging Governor
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  Ned Lamont and the Democratic majority to suspend state taxes on gasoline
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  and diesel fuel through the end of The year, estimating the move
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  would cost 128 million. The proposal would use special transportation fund reserves
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  to cover the revenue loss. Democratic leaders have not indicated support for
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  the plan at this time. Connecticut's ongoing conflicts with black bears continue,
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  as at least seven people have been arrested since 2012 for killing
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  bears they believed were threatening property or family. Most of those charged
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  said they acted in defense, but state law strictly prohibits killing a
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  bear except under specific conditions. The state's year, population has grown from
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  about 450 a decade ago to 1,200 last year, and conflicts between
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  humans and bears have increased eightfold over ten years. Lawmakers regularly debate
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  establishing a bear hunting season, but proposals have not passed due to
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  opposition from wildlife advocates. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection continues
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  to recommend non-lethal methods to reduce bare encounters. The Race for Connecticut
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  governor is focusing on taxes. Governor Ned Lamont is highlighting what he
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  calls the largest cut to the state income tax in history, part
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  of a bipartisan budget passed in 2023. Republican challenger Ryan Fazio is
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  promising an even larger tax cut if elected, proposing 2.5 billion in
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  annual reductions, mainly by lowering income tax rates. Lamont's changes included reducing
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  the lowest tax rates and increasing the earned income tax credit, while
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  Fazio's plan would further lower rates and limit spending growth. Both campaigns
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  are emphasizing relief for middle-income families, but Fazio's plan relies on additional
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  spending cuts and new revenue sources that may face legislative hurdles, and
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  now for the full weather forecast. Tuesday will be sunny and breezy
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  with inland highs in the upper 50s to around 60 degrees and
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  shoreline temperatures reaching the lower 60s. Winds from the northwest may gust
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  up to 20 mph, making it feel even cooler. Tonight will be
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  clear and colder with lows dipping into The upper 30s and lower
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  40s inland and the mid to upper 40s along the coast. The
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  rest of the week looks milder, with sunshine and gradually warming temperatures
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  through Thursday. Thanks for listening. For more local news, visit ctinsider.com. This
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  digest was partially generated by AI and then reviewed and edited by
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  our newsroom staff.