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The cuts reached into virtually every agency in state government, hitting more than 40 departments and offices ranging from the attorney general and state treasurer to the chief medical examiner and the Department of Social Services.
Malloy's cuts include more than $9 million from the Department of Children and Families, more than $5 million from the Department of Developmental Services, more than $3.5 million from the state education department, $2.3 million in operating expenses from the University of Connecticut, $1.55 million from the Connectic...
Various arts programs under the Department of Economic and Community Development were trimmed. The cuts to the arts include reductions of less than $30,000 each for the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, Mystic Aquarium, Beardsley Zoo, Discovery Museum, Cultural Alliance of Fairfield, New Haven Arts Council, Great...
Malloy said this week that his administration would prevent drastic cuts to avoid harming important programs or damaging the social safety net. The larger cuts will not come until February, when the proposed state budget will be released for the next fiscal year, which currently has a projected deficit of more than $1 ...
Both the Malloy administration and the legislature's nonpartisan fiscal office are projecting deficits of more than $1 billion for each of the next three years, but Malloy says that won't happen because it assumes an annual spending increase of about 7.8 percent that he says he will not allow. The legislature's fiscal ...
Besides the budget cuts announced Thursday, Malloy previously ordered a hiring freeze for all but the most essential positions. Agency heads have been instructed to hold the line on spending, and state officials are hoping an uptick in the economy will produce millions in additional sales tax revenues from the Christma...
But Sen. Rob Kane, the ranking Senate Republican on the budget-writing committee, said the still-sluggish economy cannot be expected to kick into high gear overnight.
Sen. Beth Bye, a West Hartford Democrat who is co-chairwoman of the legislature's appropriations committee, said that Malloy and the legislature will work together to resolve financial problems.
"What I'm most interested in hearing about is whether any of these rescissions to health care affect mental health treatment, especially for children,'' Bye said in a statement.
"I definitely have concerns about the $6 million cut for board and care for children under DCF care. I need to better understand what that looks like, exactly, because I don't want anything to negatively impact our care for adolescents who have mental health and behavioral challenges. And I'm sure we'll be hearing from...
Bye, Kane and other lawmakers will be analyzing the numbers Friday during a special meeting of the legislature's appropriations and finance committees, which total about 100 lawmakers. Top budget officials will be making presentations explaining the numbers.
The state's colleges and universities said it was too soon to say exactly how the cuts would affect their programs, but said that for students, the cuts will not mean any midyear tuition increases at the University of Connecticut or in the state's Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system.
The CSCU system received a $2.76 million cut. Michael Kozlowski, a spokesman for the system that includes the four regional universities, 12 community colleges and the state's online college, said: "Any cut is a painful cut. Obviously, it affects our ability to deliver what we need to deliver to students, but I think [...
The cuts include a $1.15 million reduction in the $30 million allocated by the legislature this year for the sweeping improvement plan known as Transform CSCU 2020. It's not certain what will be trimmed in that plan, Kozlowski said, but, "I don't think it will seriously harm the Transform project or the Transform initi...
The plan also includes a $1.55 million cut in the Connecticut State University system that includes Central, Eastern, Western and Southern state universities.
"I don't want to sound overly overjoyed," Kozlowski said, "but we are obviously grateful that the community colleges were left untouched because they are struggling under their own imperatives."
At the University of Connecticut, where $2.3 million will be cut, spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said, "Now that we have the numbers in hand, we'll work to manage the reductions in a way that doesn't hurt UConn's academic enterprise. In general, we expect to look at efficiencies in purchasing and other procurement actions...
The cuts to the state Department of Education tallied $3.98 million spread out across almost 24 programs, including a $1.56 million cut to the state's Regional Vocational-Technical School system and a $315,000 cut in the state's efforts to help implement a new set of academic goals known as the Common Core State Standa...
Rep. Roberta Willis, a Salisbury Democrat who is co-chairwoman of the higher education committee, said, "I think it's positive that they've not cut the community colleges because they clearly were in a position that they could least afford to take any cuts. They don't have the kind of budgetary reserves that the Univer...
"It always seems as though the colleges and the universities take a disproportionate hit when it comes to budget rescissions. ... They always seem to be in harm's way."
During the recent election campaign, Malloy repeatedly promised that he would not raise taxes if elected to a second term.
However, some legislators have questioned whether proposed tax cuts, including some set to start in July 2015, could be short-circuited or delayed. Among the cuts that have already been approved by the legislature are restoring the sales tax exemptions for nonprescription drugs and clothing under $50 and repealing the ...
The new House Republican leader, Rep. Themis Klarides, said that residents were not told the extent of the state's budget problems before the election.
"Clearly the governor failed to acknowledge what everyone else who was paying attention recognized: Connecticut has a lingering fiscal crisis that was never adequately addressed, either because of politics or woeful disregard for the truth,'' Klarides said in a statement. "This is just the first step forward that all s...
With Malloy's pledge for no tax increases, Klarides said the state's options to balance the budget are "becoming fewer and fewer."
Courant staff writer Kathleen Megan contributed to this story.
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Following our most recent cool front, seasonably chilly lows are back this morning - falling into the upper 40s to near 50°. A few high clouds will be in place to start, giving way to a mostly sunny afternoon.
Overall, today and tomorrow will be a beautiful pair of Fall days with sunshine and temps in the 60s. Lows tonight will dip into the low 40s -- maybe some upper 30s away from center city -- but tomorrow night won't be as cool ahead of out next front (Saturday).
Saturday brings showers during the first half of the day, clearing out by evening. We then clear out and cool off again for the second half of the weekend, in fact, lows Sunday night could get down into the 30s in Charlotte for the first time this season.
Lyndsay joined the WBTV weather team in December of 2014. She's a Massachusetts native and a graduate of Penn State who named her dog "Nittany."
Artyom had been out of college for four years, and job openings in the southern Russian city were sparse. Last fall, in search of better employment opportunities, he headed north to St. Petersburg.
But the journey wasn’t cheap. “I needed money for the move, an apartment and for daily expenses before I found work,” says Artyom, who asked to be identified by his first name only.
So Artyom opened a credit card account to finance the move. Three months later, the 26-year-old is already struggling to pay off the card’s 24 percent interest rate. While his mechanical engineering degree helped him land part-time work fixing household appliances, the inconsistent gigs don’t bring in enough earnings a...
Artyom’s situation isn’t unique. Last year, according to the Moscow-based United Credit Bureau (OKB), personal loans grew by 46 percent compared to 2017, amounting to 8.6 trillion rubles ($130 billion). Many were hoping to refinance existing debts: the number that approached St. Petersburg’s Credit Bureau No. 1 to do s...
In an effort to boost a stalling economic recovery, Russia’s Central Bank lowered interest rates to promote cheaper lending. For the many Russians whose incomes were stagnating, leaving them struggling to cover their daily expenses, turning to the banks proved attractive.
That reason was why Artur Fagdeyev began opening credit card accounts in 2010. “I figured that I’d be able to lead a better lifestyle,” he says. And for nearly a decade, the 42-year-old electrician didn’t mind that he had become saddled with debt.
Then he and his wife had a baby, and Fagdeyev decided it was time to turn things around. He took out a loan last year at a better rate to pay off his cards, which carried interest rates of 29.9 percent. But the interest rate on the new loan was so much lower — 15 percent — that the Leningrad region resident figured he ...
But he didn’t stop there. He soon took out yet another loan — and this time, he didn’t follow his new principles. “I used it to build myself a banya,” he says sheepishly, referring to a Russian bathhouse.
Following Western-imposed sanctions resulting from Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, however, Russians’ spending decreased as the country’s economy stagnated. At the same time, inequality kept growing, Yudin says. (According to a 2018 report by Credit Suisse, Russia is the most unequal of the world’s maj...
Indeed, in addition to refinancing previous debt, last year’s lowered interest rates gave consumers a window to buy what they could not afford during the previous four years, economists say. According to an OKB spokesperson, cash advances (50 percent) and credit cards (63 percent) saw the largest growth last year.
The bulk of Korotayev’s clients find themselves in such situations, turning to him to declare bankruptcy often after having taken on one too many lines of credit. Unexpected life changes like a job loss or a spouse’s death can begin a vicious cycle of debt, Korotayev says.
Unsurprisingly, then, last year’s spike in personal loans coincided with a spike in declarations of bankruptcy. Yulia Kombarova, general director of the St. Petersburg-based Legal Bureau No. 1, says the firm saw a 30-percent increase in bankruptcy claims in 2018.
One of the main reasons, Kombarova says, is that while Russians, like Americans, rely heavily on loans, Russia’s lending system presents much greater risks.
Alexei (last name withheld), 47, was one such client. The St. Petersburg resident took out his first loan for his small construction business in 2004. “It worked out for me for many years,” he says.
But the business was unstable. Workers came and went; fighting for his piece of the pie with behemoth construction companies proved difficult; and clients didn’t always pay up on time. In 2016, it all came tumbling down. “Now I’m starting from a blank slate,” Alexei says.
While he doesn’t regret having taken loans, he says he “categorically” no longer wants to.
I’m not totally sure why Darth Vader feels so compelled to check out Star Tours in the first place. Didn’t he already live through a lot of that stuff once? Nevertheless, the ad manages to get some good laughs out of the concept. My favorite gag is a toss-up between the sad Stormtrooper who realizes his helmet isn’t pr...
Star Tours, as you’ll recall, is a simulated ride that takes guests on a tour through the Star Wars universe. The attraction first opened at Disneyland way back in 1987, but was shut down last year for a major rehaul and has only just reopened at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Florida. The new Star Tours, now call...
After hitting his 42nd Test century, a superstitious Sachin Tendulkar said on Friday that he does not count his hundreds and prefers to leave it on others to keep track of his tons.
"I wouldn't want to think about all those things. I'm a bit superstitious. Let the others count the hundreds and let me go and bat," Tendulkar said after his attention was drawn to the back-to-back hundreds (including 163 retd hurt in the ODIs) in New Zealand.
Tendulkar scored 160 to take India to a commanding positing in the first Test against New Zealand.
Asked if he was happy with the way he scored today's hundred, Tendulkar said, "I thought once the new ball was taken I started timing the ball much better. After that things were different. I was quite happy with the way I moved and found the centre more often than not."
"Every hundred is not going to be a fluent one and you are not going to hit 100 balls out of 100 from the centre of the bat. That is what Test cricket is all about. There are days that you have to work harder than the other ones," Tendulkar said.
Tendulkar hoped for a favourable outcome and said there would be no let up in the intensity.
"It is always a good feeling to be in a position that we are in. I think we are in a strong position now and that is what really matters to us. There is a terrific atmosphere in the dressing room," Tendulkar said.
"We sort of led from the front from the first session of this Test match and at this point in time we are very much on our way to achieving something good. But we don't want to take anything for granted," he said.
New Zealand are trailing India by 166 runs with three wickets already down in their second innings after India scored a massive 520 in their first innings on the third day of the match.
"Saturday's first session is going to be extremely important and we hope to go flat out," said Tendulkar, who dedicated his 160 -- his 42nd Test hundred -- to tiger conservation.
The 35-year-old Mumbaikar said the partnerships were crucial in placing India where they are now.
"The partnership with Rahul could have been big. But all those partnerships in between, from (VVS) Laxman to Harbhajan (Singh), were important because it was extremely crucial to put us 200 plus ahead of their total," Tendulkar said.
The batting maestro, however, rued his mistake to play the ball from off to square.
"I went for the single. I saw that there was no fielder at mid-wicket and square-leg. So I wanted to work the ball around there. Probably the ball was not there to be played to square," said Tendulkar.
Tendulkar also said he was middling the ball very well.
"Initially, it was a little difficult to get used to the pace and bounce of the wicket on Thursday. It did take some time to find the centre of my bat. They did bowl a good line and in good areas. You just got to respect and play out good spells.
"Later on it got better. I felt the contact was much better and gave me lot of confidence. When I saw the ball was there to be put away, I just did that."
"Home conditions one is to know them better than foreign conditions. But eventually after being around for a while I know exactly when to pace my innings and back off a bit."
Dennis Conrad Riffelmacher, 81, of Cape Coral, FL passed away on January 30, 2019. Arrangements are by Coral Ridge Funeral Home, Cemetery and Cremation Services, Cape Coral. Please visit www.coralridgefuneralhome.com for additional information.
Good luck parking at the corner of Beverly Boulevard and Martel Avenue in West Hollywood on Friday. The parking spot in front of L.A. Eyeworks won't be available to cars because it will be occupied by sunbathers, mini golfers and visitors stopping for a cup of coffee.
Something similar will be happening near the Coolhaus ice cream truck in Culver City, where a metered parking space will host a tee-pee confessional for people talking about how they spend time in parks.
These installations are part of the festivities known as Park(ing) Day, taking place Friday. Park(ing) Day is an annual worldwide event for artists, designers -- anyone, really, who’s inspired to take over parking spots and turn them into miniature parks, or parklets, for the day. Founded in 2005 by the San Francisco d...
What it is: An elaborate wooden deck designed as an extension of the sidewalk where visitors can get tan, work on their putting skills or just hang out. The deck is a static piece for Park(ing) Day, but "conceptually, if a car does not need to park there, then the deck could flip on its side or live in that residual cu...
What it is: A tee-pee constructed from recycled cardboard tubes. The structure will serve as a confessional for visitors to describe how they spend their time in parks. The tee-pee connects to a walkway that leads to a second parking space and a native tree "where people can hang their confessions," said David Powell, ...
On the afternoon of May 25th, in what was a departure from the custom, the Golden Arrowhead was hoisted at D’Urban Park in an event specially scheduled to accommodate hundreds of children. The matinee flag-raising was not the only departure from custom; there was a far more egregious one and one for which an accounting...
Given the solemnity of the occasion, the re-enactment of the day in 1966 when Guyana gained its independence from the United Kingdom, one would have expected that the flag that ascended the flagpole in the presence of the President, who is also the Head of State and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, would hav...
The national flag, as one of the pivotal symbols of the state, is referenced in Article 4 of the Guyana Constitution and described in detail in the Second Schedule of that document. The Second Schedule says in part: “The green background symbolizes the agricultural and forested nature of Guyana.
“The white symbolizes its waters and rivers potential.
“The golden arrow symbolizes Guyana’s mineral wealth and its forward thrust.
“The black border the endurance that will sustain the golden arrow’s forward thrust into the future.
“The red triangle represents the zeal and dynamic nature of the nation building that lies before this young and independent country”.
Each colour in its right proportion and placement is pivotal to the integrity of the flag. The appearance of the dark green strip was therefore reprehensible and should not have been permitted at all. It may have been that the flag may have begun to show signs of deterioration or was fraying at the edges. Whatever, the...
Article 7 of the Constitution speaks to the duty of all citizens of Guyana to respect the national symbols. The representation of the flag on the afternoon of May 25th did not convey this respect and must have confused children who have had to learn the details of the national standard in their social science classes.
The dark green strip may have been a well-meaning attempt by someone involved in the ceremony to remedy some defect but what about the superior to this person and the others in hierarchical order? Were they not aware that there was a gross breach and defilement of the flag integrity and one that should not be countenan...
The departure from the flag tradition is all the more galling as just days before there was justified and fervent indignation at the appearance of maps without the county of Essequibo including on the website of the state-owned newspaper, the Guyana Chronicle. This elicited a stream of nationalist sentiment and a state...
The interloping green also attracted the ire of the opposition PPP which pointed out that that shade has long been associated with the PNC – now the PNCR and the main component of the governing APNU+AFC coalition. The opposition party harked back to the period of the PNC’s history where it flaunted paramountcy of the p...
While one strip of dark green on the national flag may not be enough to ponder a case of the re-asserting of paramountcy it would be remembered that the advent of APNU+AFC into office was accompanied by a veritable flood of efforts to remake colours in the likeness of those of APNU and the AFC. This was compounded by P...
Three years on, the governing coalition has exhibited troubling signs in various arenas which require closer examination including its disposition towards decisions of the court. For now, it must explain its bungling of the colours of the flag and ensure that there is no repeat of this.
DAVID James will start in goal tonight for England against Algeria.
Boss Fabio Capello has dropped Robert Green in favour of David James for the must-win match in Cape Town after a week of intense debate over the goalkeeping position.
West Ham keeper Green gifted the United States an equaliser in England’s opening Group C match last Saturday, to leave England neeeding to ensure that there are no more slip-ups in their next two games.
While Capello has publically backed Green all week – blaming the World Cup ball for the mishap on a number of occasions – mistakes by the West Ham keeper in last night’s training session in the Green Point Stadium appear to have crystallised the decision in the manager’s mind.
Clearly, Capello also remains concerned about Green’s mental state, despite the player himself having apparently reconciled himself with his error.
With the England manager having now made his decision, Green faces an uncertain future with England.
If James acquits himself well in Cape Town tonight, he will certainly get the nod for the rest of the tournament with Joe Hart, 24, being widely recognised as the man for the future.
You can RV camp throughout the Florida Panhandle, from Pensacola, near the border with Alabama, east to the city of Tallahassee. In between, you can stay in more primitive campgrounds in state parks and national forests, or park your RV at private campgrounds that have all the amenities of a resort. Just make sure and ...
RV parks are located in just about every kind of environment. Besides the beaches, you can camp in a forest that has nature trails or near an underground spring where you can swim. There are also resorts close to the larger metropolitan areas where you can enjoy the great outdoors during the day, and after dark enjoy t...
The privately owned RV resorts along the Panhandle have all the facilities you need to make you feel at home: full-service hookups, pull-through sites, heated restrooms and shower facilities, laundries, convenience stores, snack bars, cable TV and Internet service. The Emerald Coast RV Beach Resort is right along the s...
Most state parks allow RV camping, with fresh water and some electrical hookups available. Restrooms and bathhouses at developed campsites have air conditioning and heat. You can park your RV in a pine forest at Falling Waters State Park in Chipley and hike to the highest waterfalls in the state. The park has sites wit...
If you want more of an rugged outdoor camping adventure, the U.S. Forest Service has five developed campgrounds in the Apalachicola National Forest that charge fees less than those in the state parks. The campsites have picnic tables and cooking grills. Some campgrounds are more primitive and do not have showers or flu...
Besides all of the beach fun, you can also see what early Florida was like. According to the Visit Florida website, the town of Apalachicola has more than 900 historic sites you can visit. Or you can see how families lived more than 100 years ago at the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement in Blountstown. The settlement has 19...
Matt Wills has been writing professionally since 1993 when he was hired as a freelance writer/producer at CBS-5 in San Francisco. He also traveled extensively through the U.S. and Europe while with the U.S. Army. Besides writing, he now has his own Internet business. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in c...

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