The Connecticut Green Bank recently announced the closing financing of the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy for the system at the 21,000-square-foot facility. The business provides printing creative design, finishing and mailing services. Hitchcock Printing was founded in 1904 and is located at 191 John Downey Drive.

“The addition of our solar system is a key to staying competitive now and in the future,” said Anthony Bracco, president of Hitchcock Printing in a press release. “State-of-the-art equipment and a highly trained youthful workforce accompanied with a plan to manage our energy costs will ensure that we have an edge in the years to come.”

Monroe-based Smart Roofs Solar Inc developed and installed the 227- kilowatt system.

Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy has helped in more than 400 projects with expected savings of nearly $420 million. Commercial owners are able to install the green energy upgrades and can pay for them over time at low-interest rates.

“We are seeing continued interest in C-PACE from energy-intensive businesses seeking ways to reduce their energy-cost burdens, especially through the addition of solar systems,” said Mackey Dykes, vice president of financing programs at the Connecticut Green Bank. “It’s exciting when companies with long histories in their community, like Hitchcock Printing, take advantage of green technologies to enhance their bottom line.”

The Connecticut Green Bank was established by the Connecticut General Assembly in 2011. It was the nation’s first state-level green bank, and the organization boasts more than 30,000 green jobs in the state and reduced energy costs to 77,000 families, businesses and nonprofits.

State troopers responded to a report of the crash at 7:47 p.m. on Route 72 West in the area of Exit 2, according to Connecticut State Police.

Troopers found that a 25-year-old Waterbury woman, driving a 2016 BMW X1, lost control of the vehicle and entered the left shoulder where she struck a metal beam guardrail. State police said the vehicle then rolled over and came to rest in the grass median.

The driver and her five passengers suffered serious, possibly life-threatening injuries, according to state police.

The passengers included an 18-year-old Naugatuck woman and four Waterbury residents, state police said. They were identified as a 24-year-old woman, a 22-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman and a 39-year-old woman.

The victims were taken in ambulances to area hospitals.

The crash remains under investigation.

Any witnesses or drivers in the area with dashboard camera footage have been asked to contact Trooper Kaitlyn DeMaio at 860-534-1098 or kaitlyn.demaio@ct.gov.

While New Haven often takes the crown for best pizza in Connecticut (and even the country), there are a bevvy of fantastic choices in Hartford County to enjoy a slice or two for National Pizza Week.

Don’t believe us? We have gone ahead and collected a list of over 100 restaurants in 10 towns and cities that serve pizza. These restaurants all have at least a 4 stars on Google with at least 10 or more ratings.

The list is ordered alphabetically after Hartford, with each town’s restaurants then ordered by rating. This list is not all-inclusive, so let us know if we missed one!

Hartford

• Hartford Pizza Garden on 535 Farmington Ave (4.9 stars)
• Angelina’s Pizzeria on 41 Prospect Ave (4.7 stars)
• Salute on 100 Trumbull St (4.7 stars)
• The Brownstone on 114 Asylum St (4.5 stars)
• George’s Pizza Restaurant on 2027 Park St (4.5 stars)
• First and Last Tavern Hartford on 939 Maple Ave (4.5 stars)
• Al’s Pizza and Deli on 427 Main St (4.5 stars)
• Bro’s Dough Pizzeria on 448 New Britain Ave (4.4 stars)
• Sorella on 901 Main S (4.4 stars)
• Pietro’s Pizza on 942 Main St (4.3 stars)
• Sampizza Bar on 40 John St (4.3 stars)
• Pietro’s Pizza on 942 Main St (4.3 stars)
• City Pizza on 498 Farmington Ave (4.3 stars)
• Mr Pizza on 671 Blue Hills Ave (4.3 stars)
• NY – NY Pizza Restaurant on 547 Franklin Ave (4.3 stars)
• HFC Chicken & Pizza on 271 Farmington Ave (4.3 stars)
• A-1 Pizza on 306 Farmington Ave (4.1 stars)
• Sisson Avenue Pizza&Wings on 495 Farmington Ave (4.0 stars)
• Ranch House Pizza 17 Asylum St #1 (4.0 stars)
• Kinder Pizza and Ranch House on 2543 Main St (4.0 stars)

Bloomfield

• Carbone’s Kitchen on 6 Wintonbury Mall (4.5 stars)
• Bloomfield Village Pizza on 34 Tunxis Ave (4.4 stars)
• Pasticceria Italia on 10 Wintonbury Mall (4.4 stars)
• Gino’s Pizza & Ranch House on 407 Cottage Grove Rd (4.2 stars)
• Michael John’s Pizza on 1393 Blue Hills Ave (4.2 stars)
• Sarah’s On Park on 774 Park Ave (4.2 stars)

East Hartford

• Savvi’s Pizza Restaurant on 1555 Main St (4.6 stars)
• Carmine’s Bar • Grill • Stage on 389 Main St (4.5 stars)
• Queen Pizza on 310 Silver Ln (4.4 stars)
• Charlie’s Pizza on 386 Prospect St (4.3 stars)
• Burnside Roma Restaurant on 358 Burnside Ave (4.3 stars)
• C&E Pizza Restaurant on 1111 Burnside Ave (4.3 stars)
• Anna’s Restaurant & Pizza on 1489 Silver Ln (4.2 stars)
• Cavros Pizzeria on 184 Main St (4.2 stars)
• Villa Milano’s Pizza on 456 Main St (4.1 stars)
• East Hartford Pizza Restaurant on 1160 Burnside Ave (4.0 stars)
• Gino’s Original Pizzeria on 50 Main St (4.0 stars)

New all-day brunch spot coming to CT features creative comfort food and cocktails

Farmington

• Naples Pizza on 838 Farmington Ave (4.5 stars)
• Farmington Pizza + Kitchen on 1019 Farmington Ave (4.4 stars)
• Galleria Restaurant on 2 Spring Ln (4.4 stars)
• Mama Luke’s on 372 Scott Swamp Rd Route 6 (4.2 stars)
• Olee’s Pizza Farmington on 222 Main St (4.0 stars)

Manchester

• Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana on 221 Buckland Hills Dr (4.6 stars)
• CJ’s Pizza and Giant Grinders on 273 Broad St (4.6 stars)
• Al Madina Restaurant on 246 Broad St (4.6 stars)
• Andi’s Pizzeria on 290 Broad St (4.5 stars)
• Hartford Road Pizza on 250 Hartford Rd (4.5 stars)
• Pepe’s Restaurant & Lounge on 300 Middle Turnpike W (4.5 stars)
• Mulberry Street Pizza on 981 Main St (4.4 stars)
• Pizza Mia Restaurant, And Bar on 55 E Center St (4.3 stars)
• Filomena’s Pizzeria on 775 Main St (4.3 stars)
• Joey Garlics Manchester on 31 Redstone Rd (4.2 stars)
• Mike’s Pizzeria on 267 E Center St (4.2 stars)
• Husky Pizza on 46 W Center St (4.2 stars)
• Manchester Pizza & Grill on 316 Green Rd (4.1 stars)
• Maggie McFly’s | Manchester on 194 Buckland Hills Dr Suite 1023 (4.1 stars)
• Woodbridge Pizza Manchester on 489 Middle Tpke E (4.0 stars)
• Randy’s Wooster Street Pizza on 285 E Center S (4.0 stars)
• BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse on 320 Buckland Hills Dr (4.0 stars)

Newington

• Phoenix Pizzeria on Starbucks’s Plaza, 995 Main St (4.8 stars)
• Elm Hill Pizza on 625 Maple Hill Ave (4.7 stars)
• Turnpike Pizza on 2331 Berlin Tpke (4.7 stars)
• Bella Gourmet Pizzeria on 125 Fenn R (4.6 stars)
• Yannis Pizza Restaurant on 296 Main St (4.5 stars)
• Newington Pizza Restaurant on 75 Market Square (4.5 stars)
• Joey Garlic’s Newington on 150 Kitts Ln (4.5 stars)
• Town Line Pizza & Restaurant on 736 New Britain Ave (4.5 stars)
• TJ’s on Cedar on 14 E Cedar St (4.4 stars)
• Village Pizza & Halal Restaurant on 425 New Britain Ave Unit A (4.3 stars)
• Wood-n-Tap – Newington on 375 Berlin Tpke (4.3 stars)
• Best Pizza on 82 Pane Rd (4.2 stars)
• Nicolas Pizza & Mexican Eatery on 1125 Willard Ave (4.1 stars)

New Britain

• City Pizza Grill & Grocery on 662 East St (4.9 stars)
• South Main Pizzeria on 450 S Main St (4.8 stars)
• BYG DADDY’S PIZZA on 972 W Main St (4.6 stars)
• Marathon Pizza on 850 W Main St (4.6 stars)
• Adinas Pizzeria on 2012 Corbin Ave (4.5 stars)
• Brick Oven Pizza & Restaurant on 427 Osgood Ave (4.5 stars)
• New Britain House of Pizza on 952 Stanley St (4.4 stars)
• Town & Country Pizza Restaurant on 685 Farmington Ave (4.4 stars)
• Pizza Pal Restaurant on 264 S Main St (4.4 stars)
• Peppino’s Pizza on 10 Main St (4.3 stars)
• Express Ranch House & Pizzeria on 389 Allen St (4.3 stars)
• Paradise Pizza & Restaurant on 10 East St (4.2 stars)
• Tony’s Central Pizza on 1523 Stanley St Ste B (4.1 stars)
• Pizza Corner on 36 Broad St (4.1 stars)
• Elmer’s Place & Great Oak’s Restaurant on 1433 East St (4.0 stars)

West Hartford

• Dino’s Pizzeria West Hartford on 439 New Park Av (4.6 stars)
• Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana on 1148 New Britain Ave (4.5 stars)
• Savoy Pizzeria & Craft Bar on 32 LaSalle Rd (4.4 stars)
• Harry’s Bishops Corner Pizza Napoletana on 732 N Main St (4.4 stars)
• Joey’s Pizza Pie on 353 Park Rd (4.4 stars)
• Jimmie’s Pizza West Hartford on 765 Farmington Ave (4.4 stars)
• Bert’s Pizzeria and Mexican Cuisine on 264 Park Rd (4.4 stars)
• Sparrow Pizza Bar on 977 Farmington Ave (4.3 stars)
• Elmwood Pizza & Grinders on 1154 New Britain Ave (4.0 stars)

Wethersfield

• Stella’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant on 620 Silas Deane Hwy (4.8 stars)
• Lenoci’s Italian Kitchen on 285 Main St (4.8 stars)
• Sfizio Italian Kitchen on 70 Wolcott Hill R (4.8 stars)
• Wethersfield Pizza House on 955 Silas Deane Hwy (4.7 stars)
• Village Pizza Restaurant on 233 Main St (4.6 stars)
• Leo’s Pizza on 689 Wolcott Hill Rd (4.5 stars)
• Sora My Way on 446 Silas Deane Hwy (4.5 stars)
• Sofia’s Brick Oven Pizzeria on 1279 Silas Deane Hwy (4.3 stars)
• Vito’s Restaurant and Pizzaria on 673 Silas Deane Hwy (4.3 stars)
• Fratelli Pizzeria on 804 Silas Deane Hwy (4.3 stars)
• Sally’s Apizza on 1178 Silas Deane Hwy (4.2 stars)

Windsor

• Tunxis Grill & Pizzeria on 3 Tunxis St (4.5 stars)
• Wilson Pizza Palace on 340 Windsor Ave (4.4 stars)
• Jim’s Pizza on 124 Poquonock Ave (4.2 stars)
• Family Pizzeria on 181 Broad St (4.1 stars)
• Pizza Rama on 645 Poquonock Ave (4.0 stars)

This season, Coventry played Somers in the season opener and won 52-36.

“That was very nice,” Coventry coach Kevin Clancy said.

The Patriots (8-0) haven’t lost since. They had a big win over Ellington Friday, 50-32, a team Coventry hadn’t beaten in at least four years.

Coventry, which advanced to the Class S final in 2022 but lost to Thomaston, has no seniors. Three key juniors – guards Ava Vieira, Jianna Foran and Ava Topliff – who lead the team and a strong freshman class, which includes 6-foot-1 center Hailey Mayo. Reese Jeamel is a 5-10 freshman and Danielle Wheeler is the third freshman contributor.

“Those three are the leaders on the court that a very skilled freshman group looks to,” Clancy said. “They have taught the freshmen how we run our program, how hard we work. The freshman have bought into it. They mesh well.”

Coventry will have a tough week coming up, with Woodstock Academy (7-1) on Monday and East Granby (7-1) Tuesday.

Top performances

Maddie Benigni, Mercy: Benigni had 30 points in a 56-30 win over Hand Tuesday and 19 in a loss to Sheehan Thursday.

Kamaria Bowens, Bristol Central: Bowens had 29 points in an 82-67 loss to Northwest Catholic Tuesday.

Abby Casper, Northwest Catholic: Casper scored 28 points in a win over Bristol Central Tuesday.

Zola Cudjoe, St. Paul: Cudjoe had 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 59-36 win over Kennedy Friday and 18 points and 10 rebounds and seven steals in a 57-49 win over Ansonia Tuesday.

Jazzy Garcia, New Britain: Garcia scored 22 points as New Britain knocked off previously-unbeaten Plainville 77-51 Monday.

Kylie Lake, Old Saybrook: Lake had 24 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in a 66-52 win over North Branford Thursday and had 10 rebounds and 10 blocks and five points in a loss to Haddam-Killingworth Monday.

Katelyn Novak, Bacon Academy: Novak had a double-double (22 points, 12 rebounds) in Bacon’s 51-46 win over Ledyard Tuesday.

Skylynn Martell, International/Aerospace: Martell scored 17 points and had nine steals and eight rebounds in a 39-31 win over HMTCA Friday.

Emma Teuner, Morgan: Teuner scored 20 points in 75-26 win over Portland Tuesday.

Sophie Tumulis, Stafford: Tumulis had 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a 36-34 win over SMSA and 13 points in a 29-28 win over Bolton Tuesday.

Megan Wresien, Sheehan: Wresien led her team in scoring with 25 points, with five in overtime, as Sheehan beat Mercy 53-49 in overtime.

Storylines

Urielle Abrokwa had 24 points to reach the 1,000-point milestone Friday in an 84-44 win over RHAM. Abrokwa is only a junior. East Catholic is 7-2 and has won four straight.

Northwest Catholic knocked off Bristol Central 82-67 in a game of two of the top teams currently in the Class L rankings Tuesday. Northwest (10-0) is ranked No. 1 and Bristol Central (7-2) is No. 3. Abby Casper had 28 points and Maeve Staunton had 25 for the Lions.

Sheehan coach Mike Busillo hasn’t beaten SCC opponent Mercy that much over his 19-year career, but his team rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat the Tigers 53-49 in overtime Thursday. “I’ve lost to them, it seems like 100 times,” Busillo said. It doesn’t get easier – Sheehan will face Class LL runner-up Sacred Heart Tuesday.

Sophomore Zoee Robbins sealed Windham’s 42-38 win over Bacon Academy Saturday with a free throw with 3.8 seconds left, two days after Windham, last year’s Class M runner-up, had its first loss of the season to New London, 40-35. Bacon Academy and East Catholic are both 7-2 and Windham handed both teams one of their two losses.

Games to watch

Sacred Heart (8-1) at Sheehan (9-1), Tuesday, 6 p.m.: Sheehan has already knocked off Class LL champion Hamden and SCC nemesis Mercy and next up for the Titans is Sacred Heart, last year’s Class LL runner-up.

Coventry (8-0) at East Granby (7-1), Tuesday, 6:45 p.m.: Coventry will have a tough game Monday against Woodstock Academy, which lost its first game Saturday, then head over to East Granby for a big NCCC game the next day.

East Catholic (7-2) at Rocky Hill (6-2), Wednesday, 6:45 p.m.: These two CCC teams are right next to each other in the Class MM rankings – East Catholic is ninth and Rocky Hill is 10th.

This can be the reality, even as arctic air blew recently into Connecticut with its frigid temperatures, and Gov. Ned Lamont activated the state’s severe cold weather protocol “to ensure that the most vulnerable populations receive protection from the severe cold, which could be life threatening if exposed to the elements for extended periods of time.”

The protocol set into motion an all-hands-on-deck response system, coordinating the efforts of police, hospitals, homeless outreach workers and shelters through the state’s 211 call center. It also released some additional resources to care for people and get them off the street.

Yet the reality across the state is a system where providers say there are not enough beds, not enough services and people sleeping in cars, outside and with newborn infants in shelters. One lawmaker said of the situation that it’s time to “find a moral compass for this state,”

At the activation of the cold weather protocol, 5,486 people were recorded by name as homeless in Connecticut, including more than 500 children. Of those, more than 800 people were living outside, according to Sarah Fox, chief operating officer of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

“We know that’s an undercount,” Fox said in an interview with the Courant. “We estimate about 25% of people experiencing unsheltered homeless can’t come inside out of the cold.”

Connecticut’s homeless resources are concentrated in cities and larger towns across the state.

In Greater Hartford, there are year-round shelters in New Britain, Bristol, Hartford and Vernon.

Some serve individuals, others families, and some just women and children. They are all full.

Many towns also have overnight cold weather shelters that are open from December to March just during overnight hours. Individuals looking to stay overnight usually have to line up ahead of time because beds are first come, first served, though many are reserved for people whom the shelter has verified are living outside. When beds run out, the rest of those in line are turned away.

During the severe cold weather protocol, some towns have also opened emergency overflow shelters, in libraries and churches and other buildings not suited for habitation. Sometimes there are cots set up in rows, allowing for warmth but not privacy, an issue that keeps some unhoused people in their tents. Sometimes there are not enough cots, so people are offered chairs to sit in overnight, still better than the icy concrete.

“It varies. In some communities they are able to bring everyone inside albeit what we’re talking about is just a chair, these are not comfortable situations. But in other communities you have people being turned away during severe weather protocol,” Fox said. “We are actively working on the turnaways, how many are being turned away from resources. But we know that is happening across the state because of lack of capacity.”

Rate of child homelessness in CT is up 75%. What the state is doing to house them

Children and the elderly

The state has seen a 13% increase in homelessness over the past year, including an increase in children and seniors.

A handful of babies are living in the year-round family shelter at Cornerstone Foundation in Vernon. Executive Director Sharon Redfern listed them off in an interview this week: a 1-week old, a 2-week-old in the shelter, with a month-old baby and an 8-month pregnant mom on the way. Police and community members often bring people they see living outside to Cornerstone. One of the mothers was living outside before her baby was born, Redfern said.

The number of children experiencing homelessness in Connecticut rose by more than 75% since 2021, according to the state’s most recent Point-In-Time Count data. In January 2024, the annual statewide count found children younger than 18 made up 20% of the state’s homeless population.

The count found families with children experiencing homelessness increased from 310 households in 2023 to 362 households in 2024. “These 362 family households are made up of 1,108 people of which 677 were children. In 2023 these households were made up of 965 people of which 583 were children. Across both metrics, this is an increase of about 16%,” the report said.

In New Britain, staff at Friendship Service Center, which operates a year-round shelter and a myriad of other services, is seeing more older folks, CEO Caitlin Rose said.

“We’ve seen nationally a surge of homeless seniors. We’re seeing an older population and we definitely locally see that day in and day out,” Rose said. “We’re serving more people over 60 than ever before. That comes with … severe medical issues, incontinence, memory issues that we’re not at all equipped to deal with.”

Frostbite, hypothermia and emergency rooms

Christine Thebarge is executive director of St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Bristol, which operates a year-round shelter for individuals and, like Friendship Service Center, serves as a refuge, providing food, showers and laundry services, computer access, as well as case managers who work to help people get their needs met.

“The hardest part every day is someone coming in absolutely bewildered, young, old or whatever, and having them say ‘I don’t know where I’m going to go tonight’ … and if there’s no shelter beds, no warming beds and there is no place to go, where do you send somebody?” Thebarge said. “For my staff, the hardest day, is when they have to say I’ve got no place for you to go.”

Rose said the same. “If we have extra people, then we try to do a night-by-night: Can we call a friend, negotiate a short-term stay, are there resources in another community – call Waterbury, call Meriden, call Hartford, do they have any capacity? Some people will go it alone and go back out into their tents.

“We’re consistently faced with the hunger games. Staff are really in a tough spot when the needs exceed our possible offerings. We pretty consistently have to turn people away,” she said. Hunger games refers to a story of a dystopian society.

Thebarge said she’s concerned about the increasingly vulnerable people – younger children, older adults, the medically fragile, enduring the cold.

“I worry about people dying this winter,” she said.

Fox does, too.

“We have heard of people dying this year, we heard of people dying last year because they were unable to come inside to warmth,” she said. “I haven’t gotten to the exact names but I’ve had reports of people dying outside in communities across the state and several this year alone.”

Dr. Cynthia Price, senior emergency medicine attending at Hartford Hospital’s Emergency Department, said while the cold has an immediate impact, showing up as frostbite and hypothermia, homelessness is deadly regardless of the weather.

“The reality of homelessness is that it impacts every area of your life,” as people struggle to get adequate food, water, a shower, access to a bathroom and shelter. Respiratory illnesses, currently rampant in Connecticut, “are more dangerous in the undomiciled population and if one person in the shelter is coughing, everyone in the shelter is coughing,” she said.

Health and mental health issues are compounded by lack of access to regular care and basic necessities.

“All of those are why people die early who don’t have a place to go in the wintertime. Their lifespan can be 20-25 years less than people who don’t have a home,” Price said.

The Emergency Department does what it can to help triage the needs of homeless people while balancing those who are sick.

“Last night a guy came in and said ‘Somebody took my bag’ and he was wrapped in a blanket. His chief complaint was homeless and needs clothing so we are going to get him shoes and clothes and a cup of coffee,” she said. “We like that people are frank but we have very many who will say they have a headache or abdominal pain” to be able to stay somewhere warm.

The hospital will let people warm up and then work to get them to warming centers amid freezing temperatures, she said.

“We start to see frostbite from exposed areas from people unable to change their socks, change their shoes, they’re getting frostbite in their toes and fingers. We start to see it on the face and nose and all those other things that come with exposed skin and when people are laying around. And once you kind of freeze the blood that’s going through the outside of the skin, it comes back and makes you colder. Then we start to see the first signs of hypothermia,” Price said, discussing the impact of being out in 25 degrees.

While by noon Friday the severe cold weather protocol with its additional resources and protections had expired as temperatures rose to the high 30s, by nightfall, it had dropped to 26. The handful of degrees is little comfort to those still outdoors, Rose said.

“There are all these resources kicked into gear for cold weather and then they disappear. We have a year-round shelter issue, we have a year-round capacity issue,” Rose said. “Do you think at 12:30 it’s going to feel drastically different? Of course not,” she said. “For me and my colleagues, it’s really difficult to explain there’s really silly bureaucratic things. I’m really sorry … I know it doesn’t feel a lot warmer and I still don’t have a safe, stable place for you.”

The shelter capacity issue is driven both by the increase in homelessness due to skyrocketing rents and the inability of people to move out of the shelter system into permanent housing due to the skyrocketing rents and other costs of living in the state.

Legislators who work on homelessness issues are seeking both a solution to the state’s lack of affordable housing and stable funding for homelessness response work.

At a recent press conference at the state Capitol , advocates said they need $33.5 million for homelessness prevention, crisis response and to fund the Coordinated Access Network’s regional service hubs.

“Look, we have $33 million,” Sen. Matt Lesser said, referring to the state’s revenue surplus and the coming political battle over the state’s fiscal guardrails, which limit legislators ability to spend it. “We’ve got a lot more than that in the state’s resources, but we are up against the fiscal constraints, and we have to decide whether or not those are going to remain in place.”

Advocates and legislators repeated the same refrain: All we lack is the political will.

But Rep. Geraldo Reyes said Connecticut needs something else.

“In parking lots, there are the families in there – three, four living out of the car,” Reyes, of Waterbury said at the press conference. “That’s a sin in one of the richest states in the union.

“I, too, will send a message out to Gov. Lamont: Please, please, we need to find a moral compass for this state,” Reyes said.

Emergency crews responded to the 500 block of West Main Street shortly before 7 a.m. on the report of a juvenile who was crossing the road when they were struck by a vehicle, according to the New Britain Police Department.

Crews found that the child was alert and conscious, police said. The child was taken to the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford for treatment.

According to police, the driver involved stopped and remained at the scene.

The police department’s Traffic Division responded and is investigating the crash.

Ramon Soto, 57, of the Bronx, New York faced sentencing in federal court in Bridgeport where a judge ordered that his prison term be followed by four years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.

Federal officials said an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force uncovered a cocaine trafficking operation involving parcels that contained “kilogram quantities of cocaine.” The packages were shipped from post offices in Puerto Rico to “drop addresses” in New Britain and Meriden as well as those in Holyoke and West Springfield, Massachusetts, according to authorities.

Officials said Soto and others picked up the parcels from the drop addresses and delivered them to his New Britain residence or to a co-conspirator’s home. The cocaine was then delivered to individuals in the Bronx in exchange for payment.

During the investigation, the task force intercepted 10 suspicious parcels and found that each of them contained about two kilograms of cocaine, officials said. Task force members were also able to identify about 280 “suspicious parcels” that “likely” contained kilogram quantities of cocaine which were delivered to the various drop addresses.

On May 1, 2023, investigators raided Soto’s residence and reportedly seized a loaded Ruger handgun, magazines, ammunition, two money counters, a digital scale with cocaine residue and more than $1,000, officials said.

Authorities searched the residence of a co-conspirator the same day, reportedly finding two firearms, a drum magazine, ammunition, about two kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging material and about $12,000.

Soto was arrested on Feb. 14. He pleaded guilty during a hearing on Sept. 19 to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Following his sentencing, Soto was released on a $50,000 bond. He is required to report to prison on Feb. 26.

Sanchez cited a series of goals if he’s elected, with the top three being a stronger focus on neighborhood safety, improvements to local education and expansion of affordable housing in the city.

“I’m not going to abandon downtown, but the neighborhoods have been neglected while this administration was focusing on downtown,” Sanchez said Tuesday afternoon, a few hours before he was scheduled to host a campaign kickoff at the 5 Churches Brewing on Arch Street.

Rumors of potential candidates have been flying since Stewart announced in late September that she isn’t seeking another term.

Since she became New Britain’s youngest mayor in 2013, Stewart, a Republican, has been essentially unstoppable in a city that’s traditionally heavily Democratic. She won re-election five times without coming close to a defeat, even in years when voters rejected her running mates and elected Democratic majorities to the council.

Sanchez challenged her in 2021, but lost 5,854 to 3,464. Just two years ago, former council President Chris Anderson tried to unseat her but failed in a 4,895-3,074 vote.

So far no Republicans have announced campaigns for this year, but that’s likely to change soon. Local Republicans formally endorse candidates in July, but candidates typically step forward as early as January or February to begin fundraising and building name recognition.

Sanchez, an 14-year incumbent representing New Britain in the 25th House District, is the first Democrat to announce a campaign. The Democratic Town Committee will endorse a candidate in July. Before then, Sanchez intends to lay out his list of priorities if elected. On Tuesday, he offered some specifics.

“I’ve done quite a bit to bring all the new resources to our schools with 95% reimbursement from the state,” said Sanchez, who was co-chair of the Education Committee. “I think we need a brand new high school, and I want to see if I can get that covered by the state. We definitely need a new high school; the one we have is overcrowded and some classrooms don’t even have windows.”

Over the past several years, Sanchez served as co-chair of the Education Committee as New Britain arranged $125 million in renovations of the Holmes and Chamberlain elementary schools. City Democrats praised him for helping arrange 95% state reimbursement, compared to the 80% rate it usually pays.

Sanchez also said he’d work to attract more affordable housing for low-income people, noting that most of the wave of downtown apartment construction is market priced.

“Many of those apartments are out of reach of the working poor. And with taxes going up, rents have gone up so I’m hearing from some seniors who say they’re borderline homeless,” Sanchez said.

The new Ellis Commons affordable housing complex opened with rents set at four levels: 30% percent of the average median income in the region, 50%, 60% and 80%. The 30% units were leased almost immediately.

“A mother of two told me she’s living with her mother, working two jobs. She can’t afford the prices downtown, and said she applied for Ellis Street but all those (30%) apartments were taken,” he said.

“I’m sure we can reach out to certain developers and try to get state or even federal assistance,” he said. “I have those connections.”

Sanchez praised Stewart’s administration for its work on revitalizing city parks and doing streetscape improvements downtown.

“The upkeep of the parks, fixing sidewalks downtown, all of that needs to be continued,” he said. “But we need to do more for our neighborhoods. All of our neighborhoods. I’d like to bring back community block watches and community policing, you don’t hear much about that any more. It only makes sense that our residents should feel secure and safe.”

On Dec. 28 on the last basket of the championship game of the Conard Holiday Classic, Knowles, who will play at Smith College, scored her 1,441st point, which broke the previous school record of 1,438 held by Azaiyah Felder, who is playing at Baylor.

Conard beat Southington 55-47 for the title. Both teams are 6-1.Knowles’ accomplishment was a bit lost in the aftermath of the big win, until the next day when coach Laurie Cersosimo told her at practice.

“Coach Litos and I were on track with it but I’m not sure what happened, we were so excited to win the game, the kids were so focused on the game,” Cersosimo said, laughing. “She didn’t know about it and she was pretty fired up.

“I told her, ‘I really hope you take the time to digest how cool this actually is.’ What’s really cool is (Conard) holds the girls and boys record because Riley (Fox) has it for the boys. It’s cool that it’s two Conard kids.”

Conard lost its first game to Glastonbury but hasn’t lost since, beating previously unbeaten Bristol Central 52-42 last week behind 19 points from Nicole Gorman. Courtney McPhee’s assignment was Bristol Central’s Kamaria Bowens, who scored 16 points.

“I’m really impressed with what they’re doing so far,” Cersosimo said. “They’re really clicking, they’re working well together.”

Top performances of the week

Samantha Casper, Northwest Catholic: Casper scored 18 points in a 63-50 victory over St. Joseph Dec. 30.

Zola Cudjoe, St. Paul: Cudjoe had 18 points and 17 rebounds in a 42-39 loss to WCA Friday.

Amelia Faienza, New Britain: Faienza put up 17 points in a 60-29 win over Innovation Saturday.

Kylie Lake, Old Saybrook: Lake posted 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in a 48-38 loss to Hale Ray Dec. 30.

Katie Litwinko, Berlin: Litwinko scored 26 points, including five 3-pointers, in a 56-33 win over Glastonbury Friday.

Mia Piscotti, Hale-Ray: Piscotti had 24 points in a 48-38 win over Old Saybrook Dec. 30.

Kalani Rivera, Innovation: Rivera had 20 points, including six 3-pointers, three steals and five rebounds in a 52-22 win over HMTCA Friday.

Ruby Theberge, Canton: Theberge, a sophomore, recorded 36 points, 11 rebounds and shot 10 for 11 from the free throw line in Canton’s 57-42 win over SMSA Friday and 31 points, 13 rebounds and shot 20 for 25 from the free throw line in a 68-62 win over Gilbert Monday at the Bristol Central holiday tournament.

Emma Teuner, Morgan: Teuner had 14 rebounds, 10 points and five blocks in Morgan’s 56-36 win over Haddam-Killingworth Dec. 30.

Abi Weidman, Mercy: Weidman had 21 points and 15 rebounds in Mercy’s 54-48 loss to Sacred Heart Friday.

Storylines

Sheehan lost its first game to Fairfield Warde 60-45 but hasn’t lost since and the Titans are 7-1 after a 53-43 win over defending Class LL champion Hamden Friday. “We had a tough first opponent,” Sheehan coach Mike Busillo said. “I don’t think we played great. We’ve kind of taken care of business since. We had a good road win at Hamden, a team that’s had our number over the last couple of years.”

Glastonbury senior Maddy Handrahan, scored her 1,000th point in a win over Suffield Dec. 21. Handrahan is headed to Assumption next season. The Guardians are 3-1 after a loss to Berlin Friday.

Games to watch

(Records as of Sunday)

Northwest Catholic (8-0) at Bristol Central (6-1), Tuesday, 6:45 p.m.: Bristol Central won its first six games but lost its first to Conard Thursday. Northwest Catholic’s closest game came against East Catholic, a 53-46 win on Dec. 21.

Mercy (4-2) at Sheehan (7-1), Thursday, 6 p.m.: Sheehan has a seven-game win streak. Mercy has lost its last two games by a total of seven points. Busillo: “That’s going to be a big challenge. They had a tough (loss to) Sacred Heart (54-48 on Friday) so they’ll be loaded for bear against us and that’s probably the way it should be.

Plainville (5-0) at Rocky Hill (5-1), Friday, 6:30 p.m.: This should be a good CCC South game. Rocky Hill lost its first game of the season to Southington and hasn’t lost since while Plainville won its fifth straight last week, 45-44, over East Hartford.

Emergency crews received reports of the one-car crash around 8:15 p.m. at the intersection of Grove Hill and Lake Street, according to the New Britain Police Department.

First responders found an elderly woman in the vehicle unresponsive, police said. No one else was in the car.

Police said the woman was taken in an ambulance to an area hospital where she died of her injuries. She has not been identified.

The crash remains under investigation by the police department’s Traffic Division.