New London News

Principal Tim Smith strives to make every new student feel immediately welcome at Pawcatuck Middle School.

Could it be too soon to think about New London's mayoral race of 2015, even as the March winds of 2014 still blow so cold? After all, the country is already engaged in presidential politics of 2016, from the deflation of Chris Christie to Hillary Clinton's reach for the family crown.

Valerie A. Tamano, who for 30 years has worked in New London Public Schools, announced this week that she will retire June 30. Tamano, the manager of the district's executive support services, submitted her letter of retirement March 10 and made public her decision at Thursday night's Board of Education workshop.

The Board of Finance took its first look Wednesday at the 2014-15 proposed education and town budgets, which together represent $65,854,620 or a 4.24 percent more than this this year.

New London Fire destroyed a ground floor apartment and smoke damaged another at the Nutmeg Woods apartment complex on Thursday, displacing tenants from at least two apartments.

Erin Ailworth and Deirdre Fernandes report. Democratic candidates for governor back a law that a powerful union supports, even if it might increase government costs.

It's only fair that each community in southeastern Connecticut has a reliable Indian restaurant.

Top: Deborah D'onofrio of Hebron hands a lunch tray to her daughter, Alexa, 9, during a stop for lunch with friends at Fred's Shanty on Pequot Avenue in New London.

The New London mayor and the first selectmen from Waterford and East Lyme waited at the state Capitol for more than three hours to ask state legislators to support a bill that would give the three municipalities the ability to create a regional dispatch center.

Country singer Hunter Hayes has announced that he's going to try to break the Guinness world record for the most shows played in 24 hours.

Local legislators are trying to revive the Thames River Heritage Park, first proposed in the late 1980s, and to do so, they are proposing to eliminate an advisory board made up of municipal representatives.

Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio announced today that City Clerk and Registrar of Vital Statistics Nathan Caron will resign effective April 4. "Caron has been an outstanding public servant," said Finizio in a statement.

The consulting firm hired by the Board of Education to conduct a search for a new superintendent on Tuesday released a report - compiled with input from eight meetings with staff, students, city officials and community members - that paints a picture of what those groups expect from a new district leader.

I've always been wary about the millions of dollars the administration of Gov. Dannel Malloy has poured into its Small Business Express Program, given the failures of some of the recipient businesses.

The New London City Council's Finance Committee made the right decision in slowing a proposal that would authorize the administration to spend up to $300,000 to install a surveillance camera system in the downtown.

A 2005 photo shows Susette Kelo's house near foundations from recently destroyed homes.

Lamont Wise, 35, of 19 Pratt St., 1st floor, New London was charged Monday with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

Though the mayor, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and his staff, and representatives of the U.S. Postal Service have met twice in the last month to discuss the status of the post office building on Masonic Street, which has been for sale since 2012, no buyer has been identified and a sale does not appear imminent.

Too many unanswered questions about costs have doomed, for the time being, a request to appropriate $300,000 for a new surveillance camera system in the city.

Julio Zayas of New London carries a mattress on Monday up to his third-floor apartment at 278 Connecticut Ave. A friend gave him an assortment of furniture.