As emotions run high, party leaders urge civility By Nadya Korytnikova The Berlin Citizen
The election is less than two weeks away, and political tensions are running high. Sometimes too high. While theft and defacement of political yard signs is nothing out of the ordinary, both Democrats and Republicans say the political divisiveness feels more charged than in years past.
Sign theft has become a “consistent, ongoing problem,” she said. And both sides deal with it. Durham resident Tracy Ogrodnik – a supporter of President Trump – said she is used to trespassers steal-
Demand for testing increases with a rise in COVID cases By Mary Ellen Godin Record-Journal staff
state seeing the highest rates of infection.
MERIDEN — The line of cars carrying people waiting for COVID-19 tests at MidState Medical Center ran all the way to Lewis Avenue Friday afternoon.
More than 15,000 tests were performed last Thursday, according to records from Gov. Ned Lamont’s office.
“Yes, we’ve been really busy,” a worker said as she directed the cars into two lanes.
Throughout our area, politcal yard signs touting both Republican and Democratic candidates have been stolen, and sometimes destroyed. Pictured: Durham resident Tracy Ogrodnik said two of her Donald Trump signs have been vandalized. Submitted by Tracy Ogrodnik
ing her yard signs. But this year, Ogrodnik said her signs have been destroyed. “Two days in a row someone slashed my sign,” she said. “I think a person was walking, he didn’t want other people
to see him strolling with a sign, so he had to destroy it.” Another Durham resident, Melinda Hemson, felt it necessary to place her Trump See Election, A17
Hartford HealthCare, the parent company of MidState, has seen a recent spike in COVID-19 testing across all its facilities, according to a Hartford HealthCare spokeswoman. The increased demand for testing follows a recent uptick in positive COVID19 cases statewide. After months of positive cases at less than 1 percent, Connecticut saw it’s infection rate climb to 2.4 percent Tuesday, Oct. 13 before dipping to 2 percent the following day and 1.3 percent Thursday, Oct. 15. Statewide cases increased 36 percent in one week with towns in the eastern part of the
More than 62,000 people in the state have contracted the virus and more than 4,500 have died since the pandemic began. More than 190 people were hospitalized Oct. 15, the highest number in several months. “The upward trend of positives in Connecticut appears to be motivating people to get tested,” said Leslie Gianelli, a spokeswoman for the Community Health Center Inc. “Our testing numbers have increased this week.” CHC, which is based in Middletown but has sites in Meriden and 10 other towns, is extending its COVID testing hours to 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and weekends at fixed sites, See Testing, A13 R233461
ELECTION 2020
“We didn’t have this problem four years ago, not to that extent,” said Jennie Caldwell, vice-chair of the North Haven Democratic Town Committee. “In the past, few people would occasionally call us and ask for a new sign because theirs had been stolen. But now they call us on a regular basis.”
Thursday, October 22, 2020
www.berlincitizen.com
Volume 22, Number 34
