Schools on front line in fight against asthma

By Cris Villalonga-Vivoni Record-Journal staff

Although asthma prevalence in Connecticut has been decreasing over the years, the state still ranked among the top 15 in the nation for percentage of asthmatic adults in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Public school systems are microcosms of these high rates, with an estimated one in eight students under 18 years old living with asthma, reported the state Department of Public Health.

Meriden schools have had a particularly high prevalence of asthma cases 21.2% of students in 2020-21, according to DPH’s Connecticut School-based Asthma Surveillance Report. That was higher than Bridgeport (18.5%), Hartford (17.1%), Middletown (15.3%) and New Haven (14.3%) school districts.

See Asthma, A8 and Sen. Richard Blumenthal have filed a request with the Department of Agriculture for a disaster declaration in all eight of the state’s counties. Between the flooding and a flash freeze that occurred earlier this year in May, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture assessed that 1,500 acres have been impacted with a cumulative $29.4 million projected to have been lost

See Farms, A12

Plainville woman opens ice cream shop in honor of grandfather

By Nicole Zappone Record-Journal staff

Plainville’s newest ice cream shop, Lacroix’s Homemade Ice Cream, offers a sweet spot for a cool treat on these hot summer days.

The shop offers a variety of flavors, from white chocolate raspberry to peanut butter cup to orange pineapple. Lauren Minty and Sean Williston, the shop’s owners, are eager to get people to try flavors they had never tried before.

See Lacroix, A6

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• Fully inclusive rates includes personal care.

• Transportation services available.