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Connecticut Today - September 23, 2026 · Connecticut Today

• 0:05
  P>Good morning. It's Thursday, September 24th, and this is Connecticut Today, CT
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  Insider'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. Connecticut will see another cool, mostly dry day, with clouds
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  and a few breaks of sunshine. Temperatures will stay in the 60s,
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  and a persistent northeast breeze will make it feel even chillier. Stay
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  tuned for the full weather update at the end of this briefing.
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  In today's headlines, Connecticut’s long and complicated relationship with major league sports
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  is in spotlight again as the Connecticut Sun play their final game
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  before relocating to Houston. The state has a history of losing teams,
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  from the Whalers to earlier attempts at baseball and football. Some experts
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  believe Connecticut could support a major league franchise, especially in leagues like
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  Major League Soccer or the WNBA, citing the state's population and strong
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  sports culture. Others point to challenges, including Connecticut’s lack of a major
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  city and its position between New York and Boston, which makes it
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  difficult to attract new teams. While there is optimism about the state's
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  potential, most agree that landing another top-level team soon is unlikely.
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  p>Connecticut Day was celebrated at The Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts,
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  with live performances, cultural demonstrations, and a focus on the State agriculture.
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  State officials, including Governor Ned Lamont and Lieutenant Governor Susan Bisowitz, joined
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  The festivities. The Connecticut Building at the fair featured a new emphasis
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  on greenhouse products and local foods, with both longtime and new vendors
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  showcasing the state offerings. The maple syrup Producers Association of Connecticut made
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  its first permanent appearance, highlighting that the state produces about 17,000 gallons
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  of maple syrup each year. The Big E continues through October 4th.
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  The town of Toland is seeking restitution for potential losses tied to
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  its 46 million Birch Grove primary school project, which was overseen by
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  former state school construction official Costa Diamantis. Diamantis, who was convicted on
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  21 felony counts, including bribery and extortion, fled to Greece before his
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  scheduled sentencing last week. Tallinn's town manager, Brian Foley, has asked the
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  U.S. Department of Justice to consider the town's losses when determining restitution.
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  Foley said the town was forced to hire a construction management firm
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  and pay for a 1.8 million soil cleanup that may not have
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  been necessary. The Department of Justice declined to comment, and the U.S.
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  Marshals Service says it is conducting a fugitive investigation. Connecticut's housing stock
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  remains dominated by homes built before World War II, with about 20
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  of housing units dating from before 1940 and less than 15 built
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  after 2000. Most homes in the state were constructed during the suburban
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  boom from the 1950s through the 1980s. Only 10 towns have more
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  homes from the 2000s than any other decade, and none have that
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  distinction for p>The
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  2010s or 2020s. The state's real estate market continues to favor sellers,
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  partly due to slow development and limited new housing supply. The Norwal
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  Boat Show kicks off its 50th year today at Norwalk Cove Marina,
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  running through Sunday. The event features new and used boats, activities, and
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  workshops, with tickets priced at 20 for adults and 10 for teens.
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  While high interest rates and inflation have made some buyers hesitant to
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  upgrade, demand for boating in Connecticut remains strong. More than 1,650 boats
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  are currently listed for sale in the state, with prices ranging from
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  a few thousand dollars to nearly 11 million. Boat registrations in Connecticut
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  dropped by 0.9 in 2024, even as national numbers rose, but industry
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  representatives say interest in boating remains high. And now for the full
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  weather forecast. Today will be mostly cloudy and breezy, with highs in
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  the 60s across most of Connecticut. Wind, from the northeast will make
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  it feel cooler, especially along the shoreline. Rain chances increase late tonight
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  as a coastal storm approaches, bringing then potential for a prolonged period
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  of rain, wind and coastal flooding through the weekend. Thanks for listening.
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  For more local news, visit ctinsider.com. This digest was partially generated by
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  AI and then reviewed and edited by our newsroom staff.