Valley Independent Sentinel

The Valley Independent Sentinel is an online news service that publishes from Monday to Friday, focusing exclusively on the lower Naugatuck Valley in Connecticut. While the concept isn't entirely new, it's been over 20 years since the Valley had its own daily news source. This gap followed a significant event known locally as "the Christmas Eve massacre," which occurred in 1992 when a newspaper chain closed the much-loved Evening Sentinel, a daily paper that served the area for over a century. We are here to fill that void. As a non-profit organization, the Valley Independent Sentinel is committed to providing news specifically for the communities of Ansonia, Derby, and Seymour. Our launch date was June 22, 2009.

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Articles

Derby Schools Locked Down After Bullets Found On Bus

2 days ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Eugene Driscoll

DERBY — Schools in the city were locked down Thursday morning after two bullets were found on a school bus, according to a robocall from a Derby Middle School administrator. Police were on scene at the middle school/high school campus on Chatfield Street as of 9:55 a.m. conducting an investigation, which includes checking lockers in the middle school. The bullets were found on bus 55, according to the robocall.
State Budget Forces Ansonia Officials To Go Over Finances

3 days ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Jasmine Wright |Eugene Driscoll

ANSONIA – The new state budget includes a section that forces city officials to appear in front of an advisory committee to review finances. Mayor David Cassetti said the appearances are not necessary and that the provision is the work of state Rep. Kara Rochelle, a Democrat who represents Ansonia and Derby. He complained no one gave city officials a head’s up. “It’s all political, there’s no question about it,” Cassetti, a Republican, said.
Scott Derby Is Seeking The Republican Nomination For Mayor

3 days ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Eugene Driscoll

DERBY – A westside father of two said he is seeking the Republican nomination for mayor. Scott Derby, 60, made his intention known last month during a fundraiser for the Derby Republican Town Committee. “Scott Derby brings a fresh perspective with innovative skills and ideas and the public will see over the next five months he is the right man for the job at hand,” said Gino DiGiovanni, Jr., the city GOP chairman.
This Week In Derby History!

1 week ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Eugene Driscoll

DERBY — The city turned 350 on May 13 and “Derby 350 Weekend” is scheduled to start 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 30. Click here for a Valley Indy rundown of the weekend’s events (we just added Elks building tours to the list). To mark the 350th, we’re doing a very special bonus “THIS WEEK IN HISTORY” concentrating on what was happening in Derby way back in 1900. The source for the information is digitized copies of The Evening Sentinel posted here.
Landlord Accused Of Blight Violations Sues Ansonia

1 week ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Jasmine Wright

ANSONIA – The company which owns the River Plaza on Maple Street asked a court to cancel a planned tax auction of the shopping plaza and throw out $100,000 in blight fines. According to an April 11 lawsuit from Maple Street Plaza, LLC, the city wanted to sell the commercial plaza at 27 Maple St. in a public tax auction after the property accrued $100,838 in blight violations over three years. However, the lawsuit says the city never properly informed the company of those violations.
Derby P&Z Approves Griffin Hospital MRI Building

1 week ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Eugene Driscoll

DERBY – Members of the city’s planning and zoning commission May 20 approved a plan from Griffin Health to replace a portable MRI trailer with a modular building. The vote was unanimous. Currently Griffin Hospital houses an MRI machine in a portable trailer on the Spring Street side of the hospital campus, near loading docks. That trailer will be replaced with a custom-built modular building that will attach directly to the hospital.
Ansonia Budget Referendum Results

2 weeks ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Eugene Driscoll

ANSONIA — The city and school budgets were rejected at a referendum today (Friday, May 23). Here are the results:Shall the city portion of the budget, as recommended by the board of aldermen of $29,652,920 for the fiscal year 2026 be adopted? Yes: 166No: 648Shall the board of education portion of the budget, as recommended by the board of aldermen, $39,560,719 for the City of Ansonia for the fiscal year 2026 be adopted? Yes: 238No: 577A fourth referendum is scheduled for June 6.
Ansonia Mayoral Candidate Drops Out Of Race

2 weeks ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Jasmine Wright

ANSONIA – Democrat Javier Varas has ended his campaign for mayor, citing family health issues. Varas, 23, had announced his campaign in March. He is also the vice chair of the Ansonia Democratic Town Committee. Varas said that he needed to withdraw to focus on his family. “Like all of you, my family is very dear to me,” Varas wrote in a prepared statement May 22.
Hearst Reporters Vote To Form Union

2 weeks ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Thomas Breen

Hearst Connecticut journalists, including those at The Connecticut Post and New Haven Register, have voted to form a union, and are now seeking to negotiate a contract with their newspaper-chain employer. A group called the Connecticut News Guild made that announcement in a Thursday afternoon press release. According to the press release, Hearst Connecticut journalists voted 68 – 17 in support of forming a union with The NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America (CWA).
Cheat Sheet: Ansonia May 23 Budget Referendum

2 weeks ago | valley.newhavenindependent.org | Jasmine Wright

ANSONIA – Voters will decide on proposed city and school budgets at a third referendum Friday, May 23, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ansonia Armory (5 State St). Here’s a cheat sheet to share with friends and neighbors. The Whole ThingThe total proposed budget (city budget plus school budget) is $68.1 million. It carries a spending increase of $1.7 million, or 2.6 percentBut …Voters Friday will decide on proposed budgets for the city and schools separately.