Good day Middletown! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: 2026 CT Beer Tour for a Cancer-Free Future at Concentric Brewing Co. and 10 more events.
Today's riddle: What do you call a belt that is made of watches? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. Dryer Fire Cooled Off At Middletown Laundromat (patch.com) — Middletown firefighters quickly knocked down a dryer fire at a Washington Street laundromat Wednesday afternoon after smoke was seen coming from the roof. Crews used a single hose line to put out the blaze, which also spread into ductwork, and the Fire Marshal's Office is now investigating the cause. The swift response limited damage and disruption for nearby residents and businesses.
2. Middletown School System Getting 6-Figure Grant Aimed At Boosting Attendance (patch.com) — Middletown families could see stronger support for keeping students in class, as the city's public schools are receiving a $125,000 share of a statewide attendance-improvement grant. The funding, part of Connecticut's LEAP initiative, will back home visits and outreach that have already been shown to boost attendance and reduce disciplinary issues across participating districts.
3. Middletown Homicide Suspect Shot And Wounded By West Hartford Police After Pursuit Spills Into Hartford (patch.com) — Middletown residents are being urged to share any information they have after police identified a local man as the suspect in a deadly shooting in the city's West Lake section. The suspect was later wounded and arrested following a police pursuit from West Hartford into Hartford, and Middletown detectives are continuing to investigate the homicide.
4. SMU historian Ariel Ron awarded 2026 MacArthur 'genius' grant (dallasnews.com) — A Middletown-based Wesleyan University novelist, Maaza Mengiste, has been named a 2026 MacArthur "genius" fellow, bringing a prestigious national honor and $800,000 grant to the local community. Her historically grounded fiction explores the human cost of political conflict, joining 19 other fellows from across the country in fields from climate science to jazz.
5. Many leaders at Connecticut's largest public college system have left. Who's in charge now? (thehour.com) — Middletown's CT State Middlesex campus recently hosted a Board of Regents meeting amid major leadership upheaval across Connecticut's public college system, which serves about 100,000 students. With the chancellor, board chair and vice chair gone and Central Connecticut State's president resigning, new interim leaders are stepping in while state officials prepare fresh appointments that could shape higher education for years.
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Ok Middletown! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A waist of time. (Thank you Martin L. for sending it in!)
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