Lucas Willard

An increasing number of Connecticut students are being exempted from vaccinations as parents cite allergic reactions or religious prohibitions. WAMC’s Lucas Willard has more…

The Connecticut Post reports that according to the state Department of Public Health, 1,056 children entering kindergarten and seventh grade last year received exemptions. That's up by 127 percent from 2003, when the state recorded 465 such exemptions.

Vaccination coverage in Connecticut still remains high, with more than 97 percent receiving various vaccinations.

The head of the Massachusetts Democratic Party is apologizing for suggesting that Republican Sen. Scott Brown was trying to portray himself as "an honorary girl" in TV ads that seek to attract women voters. WAMC’s Lucas Willard has more…

Chairman John Walsh said in a statement he regretted the remark, which he said was made in the excitement of the opening of the party's national convention.

Connecticut labor officials say the weak economy is making it harder to force companies to pay unpaid wages.

The Department of Labor says it recovered more than $5.5 million in unpaid wages for workers in Connecticut in the year that ended June 30. Officials responded to 3,800 complaints about unpaid wages.

That's down from $6.1 million recovered last year in response to 3,682 claims.

Gary Pechie, director of the wage and workplace standards division, said Friday that businesses are fighting state officials and refusing to pay. Other companies are out of business.

The thought of one more road trip before winter is inspiring more New England residents to travel during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

AAA says about 1.6 million New England residents, or about 11.3 percent of the population, will travel 50 miles or more from home during the weekend. That represents a three percent increase over last year, just slightly ahead of the national forecast of 2.9 percent.

AAA Southern New England says the increase appears to reflect the nation's continued slow and steady economic recovery.

Massachusetts Insurance Regulators have denied a proposal that would have raised state workers’ compensation rates nearly 19%. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

Workers’ compensation insurance is paid out by employers to employees in case of job related accidents. The money covers services including medical care and rehabilitation.

In order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of North Adams, Massachusetts must make over 300 repairs and upgrades to its municipal structures. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard has more…

Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick has released all five members of the state transportation board. The board will be restructured in September, but the move is sparking some controversy. WAMC’s Lucas Willard filed a report…

The unemployment rate in New England climbed in July but remains below the national average.

The New England office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday the jobless rate in the six-state region was 7.1 percent last month, up from 6.8 percent in June.

Rhode Island's 10.8 percent unemployment rate is the highest in New England and the second highest in the U.S.

By contrast, Vermont's rate of 5 percent is the lowest in the region and the fifth lowest in the country.

The national jobless rate in July was 8.3 percent.

Connecticut House Speaker Chris Donovan is withdrawing as a third party candidate for the state’s 5th Congressional District.

After losing the Democratic primary on Aug. 14 to former state Rep. Elizabeth Esty, Donovan could have remained in the race because he was cross-endorsed by the Connecticut Working Families Party.

Researchers are claiming that it’s possible to save important native New England fish species if certain upgrades and removal of existing infrastructure can be made. WAMC’s Lucas Willard has more…

Ecologists from UMass Amherst and Stony Brook University in New York are saying that although the survival of some species of river herring in New England is threatened, work can be done to restore the small fish to healthy populations.