Connecticut

Everyone from health experts to Rachael Ray has touted the benefits of olive oil. As demand for expensive, higher-quality olive oil has grown, however, so has the problem of fraud. Last year, Connecticut officials discovered that some of that state's olive oil was a little too slick. As a result, beginning next month, the state will be the first in the country to set quality standards for olive oil. The state's new regulations prohibit additives and define virgin olive oil as "obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means . . . which have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifuging and filtration." California and New York have expressed interest in enacting similar standards because counterfeit olive oil poses a potential health risk to consumers. Some people experience adverse reactions from unscrupulous olive oil, possibly as a result of food allergies to soybeans, tree nuts, and peanuts.

Often, when I'm buying cooking olive oil, I look for bargain prices. Now I'll take more interest in the brands that I choose. Will you do the same? Does this type of criminal activity surprise you?

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This Old House recently featured the home of a Fairfield, CT, family who drastically transformed their 1953 Cape Cod home after enduring serious renovations, including raising the roof to add four bedrooms and two baths upstairs. Shown here is the former living room, with busy, antiquated wallpaper and worn oak floors that certainly don't help to make the space feel larger. With a little paint, some floor stain, an overhaul of the fireplace, and a lot of DIY demolition, the Kuryluk family transformed the room into an airy, modern space that's up-to-date and stylish. To see the after photo, read more

Same-sex couples now have a right to marry in Connecticut. The state's Supreme Court ruled today that under the equal protection clause of Connecticut's constitution, civil unions discriminate against same-sex couples. Thus, gay couples must have the same rights as straight couples.

In a close 4-3 decision, the majority held:

Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same-sex partner of their choice. To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others.

Essentially arguing that the constitution must stay relevant to the times, the court said Connecticut's "understanding of marriage must yield to a more contemporary appreciation of the rights entitled to constitutional protection."

California's Supreme Court came to a similar conclusion this year, but voters will have a chance to amend the constitution to make same-sex marriage explicitly unconstitutional. To find out how religious people from out of state are working to pass the ban, read more

It's just like being a teenager, except your parents are the police! And instead of grounding, they can put you in jail! Curfews are popping up in tons of places, aimed at controlling crime. With goals similar to the police checkpoints in Washington DC, the newest towns getting an early bedtime: Helena, Arkansas and Hartford, Connecticut.

Sparked by violence, Helena, AR has implemented a 24-hour curfew in a troubled neighborhood, questioning all passers by. The city council voted unanimously to allow police to expand the program to any area of the city, despite ACLU claims that the police action is unconstitutional. The patrols have resulted in 32 arrests since they locked down the 10-block radius. The council acknowledges the hardship of the curfew but says those living in the city want the random and drug-fueled shootings to stop, regardless of what it takes.

To see what's happening in Hartford, and whether it actually works, read more

A graphic and shocking surveillance video shows a 78-year-old man struck by a hit-and-run driver in Hartford, Connecticut. In the minute and a half that followed, before the police passed by, witnesses refused to come to the man's aid.

The video shows cars passing, and dodging the motionless body. A scooter circles the body, and then drives off. Those on the sidewalk continue about their business, or eventually join a circle of gawkers, standing feet from the man but refusing to do anything but stare. Officials did say that four people called 911.

Other countries, aware that common decency is apparently not enough to help a fellow human in need, impose criminal penalties for failing to reasonably help a person in danger.

How would you react in this situation? Should the United States adopt a duty to rescue, holding uninvolved by-passers liable for not helping a person in danger if they are not at risk themselves? Or do citizens have a right to be a Good Samaritan only if they want to? Does dialing 911 count?

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Before we start a new state tomorrow, I couldn't forget to finish up with Connecticut! The rocky Bushy Point Beach is part of Groton's Bluff Point State Park, and was designated a 'Coastal Reserve' in 1975. This special act of the Connecticut legislature established the area "for the purpose of preserving its native ecological associations, unique faunal and floral characteristics, geological features, and scenic qualities in a condition of undisturbed integrity". For visitors, this means you'll get to see over 800 acres of amazing displays of nature... but you'll have to get there without any motorized vehicles.

In addition to the plants and animals you can spot, it's also a great place to walk with your pooch from Sept. 16 to Apr. 14 or to check out the variety of nesting birds (like the piping plovers) during the rest of the year. With a permit, it's possible to ply for clams here in the bordering Poquonnock River so pooches can also watch (or hop in to help) those clammers, too. You'll have to work to make it to this rocky point, though – it's a mile walk out to this beach from the park so grab hiking boots, pooch, and let's go!

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