New London County, CT

Welcome parents, friends, family, Superintendent Nero, Associate Principal Reyes, Chairperson Christine Wagner, faculty and staff, and of course the Class of 2021. Thank you all for being here today to watch as the Class of 2021 says their final goodbye to Wheeler High School. I cannot express how happy I am that after such a crazy year, we are all able to be here -- together -- for graduation.

Last month, two residential programs at Sound Community Services in New London co-hosted a spring barbecue for residents, including food, music, games, graffiti art, sidewalk chalk and a motivational guest speaker, Dylan Howley, from The Lefty Cycles Project. Sound Community Services and The Lefty Cycles Project are collaborating to help...

If you ever have an opportunity to go birdwatching with Maggie Jones, do it! It is a special treat. Four of us, for example, recently toured the Copp Family Park in Groton, a 240-acre birding paradise with Jones, who is a veritable institution in New London County, sought after for her expertise in ornithology, botany, biology, and ecology.

For Tim Strong, residential recovery specialist for Sound Community Services and a coach for Montville High School, he wants to make his billboard congratulations to eastern Connecticut high school seniors “bigger and bigger.”. On Tuesday, six billboards were installed through New London County, with two in Norwich, two in New...

Two wanted women were taken into police custody following a months-long investigation into suspicious packages that were left on the grounds of the Connecticut State Capitol. Police in Connecticut announced the arrests of Hartford County resident Erin Melocowsky, age 19, of Manchester, and New London County resident Olivia Rae Rinkes, age 30, of North Stonington, who are facing disorderly conduct charges and have each been released on a $5,000 bail following the investigation.

Montville — Police on Thursday evening canceled a Silver Alert issued earlier in the day for a 16-year-old girl they had classified as an endangered runaway. State police confirmed Kylie Torrey, who had been reported missing from Uncasville since Wednesday, was found safe.

Matthew Barrett died in November 2015 at the age of 32 because he was too ashamed to seek help, his mother, Kathleen Dufficy, said. “Because of the stigma involved, Matthew did not seek treatment. He was judged. There was a lot of blame,” said Dufficy, a retired court clerk, who founded Matt’s Mission, a nonprofit organization in Jewett City, which provides education and awareness about drug abuse, connects individuals battling substance-use disorders to treatment and services, and supports them on their path to recovery.

Mohegan — Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday for games play from May 31 to Sunday. Jones led the Sun (8-2) to a 2-0 week, averaging 27 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks per-game in wins over the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty.

Storm clouds were looming over Mohegan Sun and Trading Cove on Friday as a line of thunderstorms moved across northern New London County. The next several days in the region are expected to be hot and humid. High temperatures will reach the upper 70s along the shoreline and near 90 inland Saturday, according to the Meteorological Studies and Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University. After that, highs are forecast to be in the 80s along the shoreline and in the 90s inland into early next week.

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of New London and Middlesex counties into the late afternoon Friday. The warning applies to west central New London County and north central Middlesex County, according to the National Weather Service. The agency said a “nearly stationary” severe storm was located...