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Connecticut Today - September 29, 2026 · Connecticut Today

• 0:05
  P>Good morning. It's Tuesday, September 29th, 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 5 minutes. We're starting off with a quick look at
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  the weather. After a week at Nor'easter, today brings calmer conditions with
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  sunshine turning and temperatures edging back towards 70 degrees. We'll have the
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  full weather update at the end of The briefing. Today's headlines, the
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  nor'easter that swept through Connecticut over the weekend left behind downed trees
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  and property damage across the state. In Woolcut, the storm toppled a
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  historic pin oak tree planted in 1902 as part of a statewide
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  effort to commemorate the Constitutional Convention. The tree was one of 168
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  saplings distributed to delegates from every town, and its fall marks the
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  end of a living piece of Connecticut history. Of the original Constitution
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  oak trees, 55 are still standing today, while 92 have not survived.
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  The trees remain a reminder of the state's past, even as storms
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  continue to shape the landscape. Homeowners in Connecticut are seeing some relief
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  from rising insurance premiums though many are now facing higher deductibles or
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  reduced coverage. According to AM Best, national homeowners insurance premiums rose 4.5
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  in the first half of 2026, down from previous years. Connecticut homeowners
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  have experienced a 17 increase in insurance costs since 2020, with average
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  annual premiums reaching 2,450. The Connecticut Insurance Department is urging residents to
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  review their policies, especially after recent flooding and storm damage. More information
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  on preparedness and coverage can be pound at the state's Preparedness and
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  Resiliency Center. Coffee prices remain high in Connecticut, with a pound of
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  ground coffee in U.S. Grocery stores recently ranging from 9.30 to 9.70.
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  Wayne Pess, president of the Connecticut Food Association, said, quote, There's no
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  question people are facing sticker shock when they buy coffee, but they're
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  not giving it up. Shoppers are switching brands to find better deals,
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  with some lesser known coffees costing less per ounce than traditional brands.
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  Experts say climate issues in coffee growing regions are the main reason
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  for high prices, and it could take at least two years for
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  prices to drop, a New U-lean Distribution Center in Plainfield is set
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  to become fully operational by early November and is still hiring. The
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  company has already brought on about 150 employees and is looking to
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  fill more positions at a hiring event on October 10. Uleen is
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  offering hourly wages between 26 and 34 for day shifts and up
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  to 34 for night shifts, along with a 5,000 signing bonus for
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  eligible new hires. The Plainfield facility is Uleen's first in Connecticut and
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  will help serve customers across New England. Other major warehouse employers in
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  the state include Amazon and GXO Logistics, both of which have also
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  expanded their local workforces. Connecticut has recorded its first official sighting of
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  the Mediterranean. Recluse spiders a species related to the brown recluse but
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  native to Europe and the Mediterranean. The spiders were found in a
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  Wallingford apartment building and identified by entomologists from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment
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  Station. Experts say the Mediterranean recluse is not established in Connecticut, and
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  is likely to remain confined to buildings where it arrives with transported
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  goods. Both Mediterranean and brown recluse spiders are described as timid and
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  solitary, rarely biting unless threatened. Blackwidow spiders are more common in Connecticut,
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  but bites from venomous spiders remain rare and are usually not life-threatening
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  with prompt medical care. And now for the full weather forecast, the
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  nor'easter has moved out, leaving behind a quieter day with sunshine and
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  lighter winds. Highs will reach The upper sixties to around seventy degrees,
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  with cooler temperatures along the shoreline and warmer spots inland. The rest
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  of the week looks milder and more comfortable, with sunshine and temperatures
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  climbing into the seventies through Thursday before another chance of rain arrives
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  on Friday. 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.