New Haven Independent

3 days ago | newhavenindependent.org | Laura Glesby

Three alder-hopefuls apiece are now running to represent Downtown/Yale’s Ward 1 and Morris Cove’s Ward 18, as more candidates have signed up to participate in this year’s municipal elections. That’s the latest update on soon-to-unfold alder elections, based on paperwork filed with the City Clerk’s office. The new entrants to the Ward 18 race are Zelema Harris, a Democrat, and Anthony Acri, a Republican.

4 days ago | newhavenindependent.org | Laura Glesby

Conscience carried eight bags of belongings — everything she owned — to a ground floor table of the Ives library branch. She had arrived at the downtown library on Monday morning for a respite from the 90-degree heat. The library branch was one of the city’s eight ​“cooling centers” open on Monday during the first heat wave of the summer. It was quiet, patrons relatively sparse. On the Ives branch’s ground floor, a handful of people browsed for books or clicked through computers.

4 days ago | newhavenindependent.org | Laura Glesby

Ashley Bailey doesn’t remember living at 470 Howard Ave., where her father and grandfather raised her briefly as a baby. But her 13-year-old daughter will remember painting her bedroom walls teal inside that same house — now that Bailey is on track to purchase it as a first-time homeowner, with the help of state and federal programs that are in jeopardy under President Donald Trump.

4 days ago | newhavenindependent.org | Jamil Ragland

NadaButVibes & BAP PackPratt Street SoundsHartfordJune 20, 2025Friday was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. And the sun certainly made its presence felt on Pratt Street as Hartfordites took in the sights of the Pratt Street Night Market and listened to the dynamic duo of NadaButVibes and the BAP Pack performing. NadaButVibes was the first to perform, and unfortunately the sun made capturing her performance all but impossible.

1 week ago | newhavenindependent.org | Maya McFadden

On a large poster board, Brennan-Rogers paraprofessional Joneya Kasperzyk wrote ​“Real kids. Real futures. Don’t close the door on our dreams,” as she and a dozen other staffers and parents gathered at the Shack to advocate for their West Rock public school not to be closed. That sign-making meetup took place Thursday at the 333 Valley St. community center.