Jason Rojas

From September 15 to October 15, we observe Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate, recognize, and feature the countless achievements of the many Hispanic Americans who have positively impacted and enriched our communities.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Connecticut, in 2020 alone, 419 lives in our state were lost to suicide. Nationwide, death by suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 25-34, and the 3rd leading cause of death for people ages 15-24. This is a crisis - but we all play an important role in putting an end to it.

Can you believe that it's Labor Day weekend already? I would like to take a moment to honor the history of the labor movement and working people who have and continue to build this country and state, and have pushed for laws like occupational safety protections, 40-hour work weeks, and minimum wages.

The start of a new school year is here! As school staff and administrators work hard to prepare the schools for the new year, I wanted to highlight the latest information from both districts.

Connecticut's 2022 Sales Tax Free Week runs from Sunday, August 21 to Saturday, August 27. This is a great opportunity to take the kids back-to-school shopping or to treat yourself or your loved ones while saving money.

In March 2020, nurses, supermarket employees, home health aides, and many others kept going to work, putting themselves in danger of contracting COVID, to keep our community safe. Now, we are giving back. If you were a private-sector essential worker during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for 'Hero Pay' through a state funded program. The Premium Pay Program, which officially launched this week, will provide up to $1,000 to workers who couldn't work from home.

It's been another hot week! Both East Hartford and Manchester are under a heat advisory through the remainder of today, August 5. Cooling centers are available at:

Time is almost out to apply for Connecticut's Child Tax Payments! The deadline to apply is this Sunday, July 31. Income eligible parents who had a child born before January 1, 2022 can receive a maximum payment of $250 per child up to 3 children. The tax payment is available to single parents who earned $100,000 or less and married households that made less than $200,000 during the 2021 tax year.