19 August, 2026
4 mins read

CT People’s Survival Programs: Coalition to Close Osborn Correctional Institution to Hold Rally

Opinion by CT People’s Survival Programs On Saturday, August 8 at 12:00 PM, the coalition Close Osborn Correctional Institution will hold a rally outside Osborn Correctional Institution (OCI), located in Somers, Connecticut, to demand the closure of the medium-security prison. Speakers will share statements from men currently incarcerated at OCI and highlight the ongoing health, […]

2 mins read

Spotted Lanternflies: Working Together to Stop a Growing Threat to New Britain’s Trees

By Carol S. Austad, Ph.D The spotted lanternfly is no longer someone else’s problem. It has arrived in New Britain. Some residents are beginning to see increasing numbers of these invasive insects in their neighborhoods. Originally introduced into the United States from Asia, the spotted lanternfly has spread rapidly throughout the Northeast, including Connecticut. While […]

1 min read

Letter to Editor – Daytime Fireworks Yesterday Traumatizing to New Britain Veteran(s)

By Molly Felth Dear New Britain Progressive, Thanks for the work that you do! I write on behalf of my Iraq War veteran partner. You may know that yesterday, July 5th, New Britain Parks and Rec discharged all the fireworks they were going to use on July 4th, during the day, at Walnut Hill Park […]

6 mins read

Reader: New Britain opposed its urban highways—and it can do it again

By Thomas Broderick During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s the state of Connecticut disastrously gutted its cities by ramming urban freeways through their cores. Interstate 91 and Interstate 84 in Hartford, Interstate 95 (originally known as the Connecticut Turnpike) and Route 8 in Bridgeport, and Interstate 95 and the Oak Street Connector in New Haven […]

6 mins read

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Reverend Nannie Lou Lampkin

April 26, 1929 – June 21, 2026 With heavy hearts and deep gratitude for a life beautifully lived, Peggy and Christine, together with our family, announce the passing of our cherished mother, grandmother, and beloved matriarch, Reverend Nannie Lou Lampkin. Nannie passed away peacefully of natural causes at her home on Sunday, June 21, 2026, […]

1 min read

New Britain Celebrates Annual Little Poland Festival

Photojournalism by Dr Frank Gerratana. Cover photo by Dr Frank Gerratana. New Britain’s vibrant Little Poland Festival was again celebrated in the city’s Broad Street neighborhood, where many thousands of people gathered to enjoy Polish culture, music and food. Tens of thousands of people filled Broad Street for blocks during the massively popular event in […]

5 mins read

How did we get here? – A Truck Stop Is the Wrong Vision for Batterson Park’s Future

By Neil P. Connors – Batterson Park Conservancy For more than a decade, volunteers, advocates, neighbors, and public officials have worked to bring Batterson Park back from the brink. Through cleanup efforts, community organizing, fundraising, and countless hours of volunteer work, people never gave up on the idea that this remarkable regional resource could once […]