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Melissa in the Morning is hosted by Melissa Sheketoff who gathers top news headlines locally and nationally to keep WICC listeners in the know, delivering the information that matters most to you.
Every week, enjoy live interviews from state leaders, business owners and local experts. Melissa has frequent talks with Governor Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, Comptroller Sean Scanlon and other state department leaders. She also has consistent check-in’s with leaders in Washington, including U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Congressman Jim Himes. At the hyper local level, Melissa also talks to local leaders, including state senators, representative, mayors and first selectmen.
Outside of politics, local experts featured on the show weekly include infectious disease expert, Dr. Fred Browne of Griffin Health, career strategist, Julie Bauke, and law enforcement officials including crime prevention expert, Jim Perez.
And as a news reporter, Melissa does investigative reporting on local stories. In 2024, Melissa was the first and only Connecticut reporter for weeks to tackle a hot water and heating issue at Success Village in Bridgeport and Stratford, impacting thousands of residents. She also exposed severe issues with Bridgeport’s education system, including issues with the Board of Education and superintendent. She also answered dozens of calls from Fairfield residents about a childcare center abruptly set to shut down and her work led to a delay in that decision helping dozens of families find care.
Plus, traffic every ten minutes and weather from our Chief Meteorologist Paul Piorek.
Recent posts
Melissa in the Morning: Forced Back in Office
Should state workers have to return to the office full time? There’s a Connecticut house bill that forces government employees away from remote options and back to in-person. But how does that work and how likely is it to pass? House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora shared the details of House Bill 5369 and the impact…… Continue Reading
Melissa in the Morning: Immigration Spending in CT
A new Yankee Institute report highlighted that the state is spending $1.3 billion dollars for immigration assistance. We wanted to understand exactly where those dollars are going and who loses out because of this spending. We asked state minority leader, Senator Steve Harding. Image Credit: Getty Images… Continue Reading
Melissa in the Morning: All you need is Hope
The Beatles said all you need is love. But new research from Gallup shows when it comes to great leadership in the workplace, workers say they really need hope. Career strategist Julie Bauke talked about these findings and why hope is such a gold standard. Image Credit: Getty Images … Continue Reading
Melissa in the Morning: Housing Public Hearing
Available, affordable, workforce housing is nearly impossible to find in our state, which is why it’s a top topic again for the legislative session. Today, there is an opportunity for you to share testimony over the housing crisis and bills being put forward. Maria Weingarten from CT169Strong has the scoop on this year’s questionable proposals.…… Continue Reading
Melissa in the Morning: Mental Health Coverage
Mental health needs continue to be highlighted in our news and in our proposed laws, especially after the pandemic. But a lot of health insurance carriers still don’t cover mental health needs like therapy sessions. We spoke with Comptroller Sean Scanlon about House Bill 6145: An Act Concerning Mental Health and Substance Use Parity, Compliance and…… Continue Reading
Melissa in the Morning: Stone Academy Settlement
In what seemed like an instant, hundreds of nursing students in Connecticut were left without a complete education, a degree and answers for their future. I’m talking about the abrupt closure of Stone Academy two years ago. And now a local law firm settled a case against Stone Academy for $5 million to benefit the…… Continue Reading
Melissa in the Morning: Social Media Algorithms
There are more efforts to crack down on social media hurting young people. A new Connecticut bill seeks to ban social media’s use of algorithms on minors. It was put forward by State Representative Kathy Kennedy, who represents the 119th District, which includes Milford. She shared what led to creating House Bill 5474 and how…… Continue Reading
Melissa In The Morning: Point-Counterpoint On Bear Hunting
Paul Pacelli, while filling in on Melissa in the Morning, welcomed State Senator Eric Berthel to talk about the idea of bear hunt as the bear population in Connecticut rapidly increases (0:00). This prompted Priscilla Feral, President of Friends of Animals, to write in and come onto the show to present her side of the…… Continue Reading
Melissa in the Morning: CT Bar Association
With a new year, came a new executive director of the Connecticut Bar Association. We met Lina Lee and did a deeper dive into the purpose of the CBA and its impact in our state. Image Credit: Getty Images… Continue Reading
Melissa in the Morning: A Bid for Governor
It’s official; New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart is exploring a run for governor. She is working to earn the Republican nomination but already seems to have competition in the party. We spoke with her about her plans. For more information: https://erinforct.com/ Image Courtesy of Erin Stewart… Continue Reading