WNPR

Middlesex and New London Region

Russian Intelligence Ship Spotted Off Connecticut Coast

By • Feb 15, 2017
Unsplash / Creative Commons

A Russian intelligence gathering vessel, the Viktor Leonov, has been spotted 30 miles off the Connecticut shoreline. The ship is still in international waters, but is in close proximity to the naval submarine base in Groton. 

Amid Vocal Opposition, Feds Consider Changes To High Speed Rail Plan

By editor • Feb 15, 2017

The proposed high-speed rail in the Northeast Corridor has hit a bump. After pushback from residents in Connecticut and Rhode Island, the Federal Rail Administration says it’s willing to modify the plan due to residents' worries that the new route would run right through historic districts.  

Opponents Of Southeastern Connecticut Rail Plan Ask For Legislative Assistance

By • Feb 7, 2017
Loco Steve / Creative Commons

Opponents of a new rail bypass plan for shoreline Connecticut want to see intervention from state lawmakers. Two bills before the General Assembly would mandate that changes to the state’s rail service could only take place after referendums in affected communities.

In late December last year, the Federal Railroad Administration released the latest iteration of its plan to upgrade the Northeast Corridor, including rerouting the line in several places. The aim is to be able to accommodate much higher speed trains.

Member Of U.S. Coast Guard Band Marches His Last Inaugural Parade

By • Jan 20, 2017
US Coast Guard Academy

Friday's presidential inaugural parade will include more than 8,000 participants. One of them is Master Chief Musician Jonathan Towne. He’s a member of the New London based U. S. Coast Guard Band. This will be the eighth inauguration he’s performed in -- and also his last. 

Mohegan Tribe In Talks With Developers Over Norwich Hospital Site

By • Jan 18, 2017
Harriet Jones / WNPR

The Mohegan Tribe has applied for planning permissions for its redevelopment of the former Norwich State Hospital site along the Thames River. It marks a milestone in the long effort to revive the site. 

National Coast Guard Museum Project Gets a New Look

By • Dec 20, 2016
National Coast Guard Museum Association

The group backing New London as the site of a national Coast Guard Museum has unveiled its architectural concept for the building. The glass-fronted structure will be raised 13 feet in the air on the bank of the Thames River, to be resilient to the biggest of storms. 

Sen. Blumenthal: Rail Bypass Plan "Dead On Arrival"

By • Dec 19, 2016
Federal Railroad Administration

The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a new plan for a controversial changes to the Northeast Corridor, but its fresh solution has no fans here in Connecticut. The original proposal, for an elevated bypass carrying high speed rail through Old Lyme, caused a storm of protest, as town residents said it would create an eyesore in the picturesque shoreline town. 

Electric Boat Revives Apprenticeship Program as Hiring Ramps Up

By • Dec 13, 2016
Electric Boat

Submarine maker Electric Boat is about to resurrect its long-dormant apprenticeship program. It’s one more way to ensure the shipyard can find enough talented workers in coming years. 

Groton Man Involved in Opioid Recovery Effort Shot Dead

By • Dec 12, 2016
Harriet Jones / WNPR

A man who used his recovery from opioid addiction to inspire others has been shot dead in a confrontation outside a bar in Groton. Joey Gingerella, who was 24, was apparently intervening after he saw a man assaulting a woman in the parking lot of Ryan’s Pub. 

Watch: Montville Community Holds Vigil for Victims of Heroin Overdose

By • Dec 2, 2016
Ryan Caron King / WNPR

Residents of Southeastern Connecticut held a vigil Thursday night in Montville in response to a string of local overdose deaths this past year.

Municipal Loan Fund Floated as Solution for Crumbling Home Foundations

By • Nov 18, 2016
Mary Anne Williams

Two state legislators want to allow towns to give loans to homeowners who have crumbling concrete foundations. Hundreds of homes in eastern Connecticut have been affected by the fault, which is caused by a mineral called pyrrhotite mixed into the concrete aggregate.

There's a New Spot in Eastern Long Island Sound for Dredged Sediment

By • Nov 4, 2016
JGNY / Creative Commons

Federal environmental officials have given the go ahead for a new site in Long Island Sound where sediment dredged from the bottom of nearby harbors can be dumped. The announcement was welcomed by Connecticut's marine industries.

On Voters' Doorsteps, Connecticut Republicans See Hope of Retaking the State Senate

By • Nov 2, 2016
Harriet Jones / WNPR

While the extraordinary spectacle of the presidential battle has commanded most of the attention in this election, there are interesting things at stake here in Connecticut on the state level. 

First Lady Michelle Obama Commissions U.S.S. Illinois in Groton Ceremony

By • Oct 30, 2016
U.S. Navy

First Lady Michelle Obama described herself as "beyond proud" as she commissioned the U.S.S. Illinois on Saturday at Naval Sub Base New London. Obama is the personal sponsor of the Virginia Class sub, which finished construction at Electric Boat in Groton. 

Freight Rail Project Aims to Revitalize Eastern Connecticut

By • Oct 26, 2016
Harriet Jones / WNPR

A new railroad investment is about to get underway in eastern Connecticut that its backers hope will be a boost for the economy right along the tracks and into greater New England.

Pages