Kara Rochelle

"I want to first thank the residents of Ansonia and Derby for allowing me to bring their voices to the capitol and work on behalf of our community. I also want to thank Speaker of the House Matt Ritter and House Majority Leader Jason Rojas for entrusting me with these leadership positions to help build a more resilient state," said Rep. Rochelle.

I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday! I hope all of you get the opportunity to relax and enjoy your favorite holiday traditions and festivities. This year has been a difficult one for so many of our neighbors, and even though the COVID-19 vaccine is beginning to be administered, we must continue to follow guidance from public health experts and keep our celebrations small.

I am pleased to share that Ansonia is among the 12 municipalities in Connecticut awarded $13 million in Small Cities Grants through the state's Community Development Block Grant to modernize and rehabilitate housing. Ansonia received a $400,000 grant, which will capitalize its Housing Rehabilitation Program.

I hope you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

If you need food, Walnut Hill Community Church is holding a food distribution event Tuesday, November 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at its Derby campus at the corner of Smith Street and 9th Street.

Small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can now apply for a one-time $5,000 grant through the Connecticut CARES Small Business Grant Program.

Connecticut's positive test rates for COVID-19/coronavirus continue to trend upwards. To help mitigate the spread of the virus, the entire state has rolled back to Phase 2.1 reopening, a modified version of Phase 2

On Monday I was happy to join TEAM, Inc and a group of dedicated volunteers to distribute boxes of food to families in need of extra support during these challenging times. In just over 2 hours we gave away about 575 boxes of fresh produce, meat and dairy. The next food box distribution event is scheduled for Friday, October 30 at Nolan Field in Ansonia.