The state of Connecticut plans to distribute three million at-home rapid COVID-19 tests and six million N95 masks starting as early as Dec. 30, the governor announced Monday.

One million of the tests - 500,000 iHealth kits each containing two tests - will be set aside for the general public. Distribution will begin Dec. 30 and continue through the first week in January, the governor's office said.

An additional two million tests will be distributed to K-12 schools across the state starting in January and continuing throughout the school year, Gov. Ned Lamont's office said. Read More

Amid a pandemic, the manufacturing plant at 600 Orange Avenue in Milford still hums with activity.

The dozens of masked machinists who work there weekdays use metal-processing equipment such as manual milling machines and lathes, as well as computer-numerical-controlled machines, to produce aerospace-like parts that are intricately shaped.

“It’s not easy to do,” said Giovanni Noel, as he measured a part with a micrometer during a recent shift. “But when you have a piece that comes out nice, you feel more rewarded at the end.”

Despite their expertise, neither Noel nor any of the other operators are industry veterans. They are all students, and their workplace is the approximately 5,600-square-foot precision-machining shop at Platt Technical High School. Read More

Gov. Ned Lamont announced that he has placed more than $124 million allocated for small business growth, workforce training, and community revitalization for approval at today’s 2:00 p.m. meeting of the State Bond Commission, where he serves as chairman.

Among the projects that Lamont put forth included $25 million for the Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant Program, $25 million for statewide brownfield revitalization initiatives, $21 million for the Small Business Express Program to provide financial assistance to smaller businesses, $10 million for the remediation of Bridgeport’s former Remington Arms Facility and $4 million into the state’s Minority Business Loan Program. Read More

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Local, state, and federal leaders came together Tuesday to support, sign, and seal a 55-year deal to redevelop and modernize Union Station — and promised to pave the way for a bustling 2022 during a time of mass uncertainty.

In the midst of rising Covid cases and canceled holiday travel plans, Gov. Ned Lamont took his car to Union Station for the event Tuesday morning. He joined U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, State Sen. Martin Looney, State Rep. Roland Lemar, city Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitell, Park New Haven Chairman Norm Forrester, Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Joe Giulietti, and Mayor Justin Elicker to hail a lease agreement, decades in the making, containing detailed plans for the station’s future.

Specifically, Lamont signed a 35-year lease (with a 20-year extension) with New Haven that will uphold the city’s right to manage and operate Union and State Street Stations, which are both owned by the state. The terms of that agreement include the creation of 600 new parking spaces, the establishment of an ​“intermodal center” that will connect the train station to buses and other forms of transport, and more retail options within and around Union Station. Read More