Connecticut

November 17, 2009 -- Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced that they helped secure $64.6 million for military construction projects for Connecticut military bases throughout the state. The funding, which was allotted as a part of the Military Construction and Department of Veterans’ Affairs Appropriations bill, will go towards projects in Bridgeport, Middletown, and Hartford.

In addition, the bill includes $300 million for the Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) – which provides financial support to military families incurring substantial losses when service-related moves force them to sell their homes in base communities such as the one surrounding Submarine Base New London.    » read more »

November 11, 2009 -- Frederic A. Bourke Jr., of Greenwich, Conn., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to one year and one day in prison.

Following a six-week trial, Bourke, 63, was found guilty on July 10, 2009, of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and related prohibitions, and of making false statements to the FBI. The FCPA makes it a crime to pay or offer to pay foreign government officials in order to obtain or retain business. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin ordered Bourke to pay a $1 million fine and serve three years of supervised release following the prison term.    » read more »

November 9, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that 3,000 bottles of pediatric Tamiflu from the federal government is being distributed today to 29 hospitals and clinics across Connecticut.

Governor Rell said that pediatric Tamiflu is being delivered today to 17 acute care hospitals that have pediatric treatment programs and 12 community health clinics, which treat underserved populations in the state.

“Having Tamiflu on hand will enable our clinicians across the state to treat children’s symptoms as soon as possible,” Governor Rell said. “We continue to do all we can to help medical personnel at hospitals and clinics treat the growing cases of H1N1 influenza among children.”    » read more »

Cites Decreasing Inmate Numbers, New Correction Officer Graduating Class And Effective Post-release Programs As Factors

November 6, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced she has directed the Department of Correction to consider closing a prison, citing a decline in the inmate population, the agency’s success with a number of post-release programs and the need to find savings and efficiencies in state government.    » read more »

Order Conforms to President’s Directive to Lower National Flags

November 6, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today ordered U.S. and State of Connecticut flags flown at half-staff until sundown on Tuesday, November 10, in memory of the victims of Thursday’s shootings at Fort Hood.

The order follows the announcement by President Obama that U.S. flags are to be flown at half-staff for the same period.

“Our State and our Nation grieve with those who have lost loved ones at Fort Hood,” Governor Rell said. “Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the victims’ families. This was a brutal crime that this nation will not forget.”    » read more »

3,000 Bottles of Pediatric Anti-Viral Arrive Today

November 5, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today that the state has received 3,000 bottles of pediatric Tamiflu from the federal government to help medical personnel at hospitals and clinics treat the growing cases of H1N1 influenza among children.

“We continue to see a marked increase in the number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in both children and adults,” Governor Rell said. “But any parent who has ever stayed up all night with a sick child knows how difficult and heartbreaking it can be. It is important to treat the symptoms as soon as possible and so we must ensure that the medication is available.”    » read more »

Recognizes there is more work to be done to get our economy back on track

October 30, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Today, Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, announced that the Recovery Act is meeting its target of creating or saving one million jobs with just a quarter of the funding spent out and is on track to create and save at least 3.5 million jobs by next fall. In Connecticut, the reporting shows more than 7,000 jobs created or saved directly by funding in the Recovery Act, including more than 6,000 in the first district.    » read more »

October 30, 2009 -- As cases of H1N1 continue to mount in Connecticut, Governor M. Jodi Rell today has asked the state Department of Public Health for an inventory of anti-viral medication in Connecticut and is urging federal health officials to immediately release a second round of anti-viral medication from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).

This development comes the same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised Connecticut’s flu activity classification to “widespread,” the highest level of activity.    » read more »

October 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today praised the release of $4,414,494 to two Connecticut Corporations and the University of Hartford for domestic geothermal energy research. The grant will be used for a number of research projects ranging from testing costs of future use and development of geothermal energy to research and development of new technologies to locating and drilling into deep hot rock formations, to convert the heat to power. The funds were released by the U.S. Department of Energy as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.    » read more »

October 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today praised the release of $9,188,050 to the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative, based in Norwich. The grant will be used to build a regional smart meter network infrastructure which includes five municipal utilities and at least 13,000 meters that will allow customers to control their electricity use through time-varying rates and control, communications, and management systems. The funds were released as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced that Connecticut will receive $20,061,000 from the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. The bill has been passed by the House and will now go to the President for his signature.

“This energy and water spending bill will provide important support to Connecticut’s waterways and energy researchers in the areas of fuel cells, bio-energy, and other alternative energy,” said Dodd. “These resources are an investment in Connecticut and our nation’s energy future, and will allow us to move away from our unhealthy dependence on foreign oil.”    » read more »

More than 80,000 Doses Have Arrived; Thousands More On the Way

October 15, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that vaccination clinics for the H1N1 virus – the so-called swine flu – are getting underway in Connecticut and more are expected to be scheduled over the next several weeks as shipments of the vaccine continue to arrive in the state.    » read more »

Businesses Also Eligible for Solar Thermal Grants

October 14, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced the state is dedicating $4 million in federal stimulus funds to help homeowners and businesses pay for the installation of solar-powered hot water heating systems, an investment that will lower utility bills and promote the use of alternative fuels.

“I am proud of Connecticut’s leadership in promoting and using greener, cleaner technology,” Governor Rell said. “This incentive will help hundreds of families and businesses make the switch to renewable energy by saving them money on installation costs and ultimately their hot water bills. It would also be a much-needed boost in business for those who sell and install these systems.”    » read more »

Oct 15 2009 -- Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) announced today that Connecticut has received its second and final installment of the State Energy Program funding provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Department of Energy delivered an additional $19 million to the state, which has now received a total of $38 million through the State Energy Program to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the state.

“The Recovery Act State Energy Program creates jobs, helps protect family pocketbooks, and makes us safer both at home and abroad,” said Congressman Himes. “There’s no better way to reduce both energy costs and our dependence on foreign oil than to use less in the first place.”    » read more »

Washington, Oct 15 -- Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Courtney announced that fourteen second Congressional district towns will receive $6.2 million from the federal government through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. CDBG is a flexible program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs.

Congressman Courtney stated, "This is great news for towns throughout eastern Connecticut. This is an example of federal funds being put to good use through refurbishing homes, rehabilitating public buildings and investing in the overall infrastructure of our towns. At a time when many towns throughout the region are struggling to make ends meet in their budgets, these resources will go a long way."    » read more »