Hartford

Tuesday’s planned opening of Hartford Public Schools was postponed after officials reported that a ransomware virus caused an outage of critical computer systems. The district announced on its website that school for both online and in-person learning will begin Wednesday, Sept. 9. 

Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum, the Old State House and the Hartford Public Library are offering a series of self-guided walking tours showcasing the art and history hiding in plain sight in the capital city.

Hartford-area arts organizations impacted by COVID-19 can apply to participate in a new program aimed at building audience and capacity post-pandemic. The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s Catalyst for the Arts will feature six weekly group sessions, as well as private coaching sessions facilitated by HFPG and the consulting firms Fathom, CO:LAB and the Free Center.

Marlin Johnson is getting her 7-year-old son Joshua ready to go back to school -- a mix of remote and in-person learning to start. Part of that preparation takes the pandemic into account, like reminding him to remember to keep his mask on and to maintain a healthy distance. 

When Jennifer Perez Caraballo decided to keep her 4-year-old child at home for the school year, she had a lot to think about, with two parents at home working full time, her own preexisting health conditions, and back-to-school plans from Hartford public schools that seemed unclear. 

For the past five years, the Capitol Region Education Council, or CREC, has handed out about 1,200 book bags to Hartford public school students in preparation for the new school year, but this year the annual block party became a drive-thru.

Hartford Police have identified a man who was killed in a shooting as city resident Kennedy Burgess, 28. He was shot during the second of two incidents in the city Monday night. Mayor Luke Bronin said Tuesday that he thinks the coronavirus crisis is playing a role in the uptick in violence in Hartford.

By way of mural design, performance, storytelling and photo documentation, a group of Hartford artists is embarking on a new project that celebrates the stories of Black, Latinx and Indigenous changemakers in Hartford. 

Black Lives Matter murals have been popping up across the country since the killing of George Floyd by police. In Hartford, a mural is tucked away in the city’s North End, with another in the works downtown. And in Stamford, the affirmation Black Lives Matter has been painted on a main street.

Hartford’s city council voted down a resolution to suspend its police chief Monday night, the same day the mayor cited the chief for a crash in a city vehicle.

Gail Hardy authored a surprising twist Monday to her reappointment as lead prosecutor for the Hartford Judicial District.

This year marks the 155th anniversary of the holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. A day that celebrates liberation, in 2020 calls for justice against systemic inequities Black communities face. Marches were organized in Middletown, Bridgeport and Hartford as well as many cities and towns. See photos and hear Connecticut voices from Juneteenth events across the state on Friday.

Events across Connecticut Friday marked the commemoration of Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when news of the end of the Civil War reached Texas, marking the true end of chattel slavery in the U.S. -- two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Wethersfield Police Department hasn’t yet started an internal investigation into the shooting death more than a year ago of an 18-year-old driver.

Despite protests from community members and a proposal from two of its members to cut $9.6 million from the police budget, the Hartford city council voted Wednesday night for a $2 million reduction and reallocation of police funds. 

Connecticut’s coronavirus hospitalizations continue to gradually decline, but COVID-19 confirmed cases and associated deaths continue to rise. On Saturday, state officials reported 97 additional COVID-19 related deaths — bringing the death toll to 2,436 people.

Unions and community activists in Connecticut renewed calls for the governor to establish a fund to help undocumented workers who are suffering during the coronavirus pandemic.

A car caravan paraded up I-91 from New Haven to Hartford, where protesters joined ranks with others from around the state in front of the Capitol building to hold an International Workers Day rally. Many stayed in their cars to follow social distancing guidelines -- and some joined virtually via Zoom.