A driver crashed into a nail salon on East Center Street in Wallingford Thursday morning.

Police responded to Sun Nail Salon at 824D East Center St. just after 10:30 a.m. and found a Nissan Frontier that had crashed into the building. The 86-year-old man who was at the wheel told them his foot slipped off the brake and hit the gas pedal.

No one was injured during the crash and the driver was not cited, but police said his license will be seized and the state Department of Motor Vehicle will review it.

The building inspector responded to check the structural integrity of the building.

Storms continued to pile on snowpack and fill California's water reservoirs over the past week, pulling even more of the state out of drought.

Last week, a small sliver of extreme Northern California was the only part of the state in moderate drought. That area and a swath of California near its border with Mexico were listed as abnormally dry, a less severe condition than drought, in this week's U.S. Drought Monitor report.

That means California is free of drought for the first time since Dec. 20, 2011, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center.

One year ago, nearly 50 percent of California was in moderate to extreme drought. Part of Ventura County and a northwest Los Angeles County were in the extreme drought category -- the second-most severe category in the drought monitor's ranking system -- at this time last year. 

Just three months ago, 75 percent of the state was in moderate to extreme drought.

Even the Salton Sea area, a southeastern California region that has consistently been among the driest parts of the state, returned to what the Monitor described as normal conditions.

"The rest of the region in Southern California is still abnormally dry due to very dry previous years," the weekly report noted. "Reservoirs in San Diego County are only at 65 percent capacity."

Big Bear Lake in the mountains east of Los Angeles was down 18 feet in early March, but it's expected to continue to rise, according to the report.

Also in Southern California, Lake Piru in Ventura County is at 74 precent capacity, Cachuma Reservoir in Santa Barbara County is at 73 percent capacity, and Lake Casitas near Ventura is up to 43 percent capacity.

One of the most encouraging signs is the giant pillow of snow covering the Sierra Nevada Mountains. A manual survey of snowpack at Phillips Station late last month indicated a snow depth of 113 inches and a snow water equivalent of 43.5 inches.

That's double what was recorded a month before at the same location.

Statewide, the Sierra snowpack was at 153 percent of average for the late February survey. The snowpack is a critical part of California's water supply because that snow melts in spring and runs off into the state's water system.

The drought-busting winter is in keeping with California's history of dry spells followed by wet winters. Researchers for California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment last year noted that the state has a “highly variable climate” with wet or dry periods that can span years and that are “heavily affected by extreme precipitation events.”

“As the climate continues to warm, atmospheric rivers, responsible for many of the heaviest extremes, will carry more moisture and extreme precipitation may increase,” the assessment says.

Atmospheric rivers, bands of moisture in the sky over the Pacific that fuel colossal rain-making storms, have contributed to some of California's wettest winters. Storms draw moisture from the rivers as they move toward California, sometimes unleashing days of steady rain on the West Coast.

But warming air can also exacerbate periods of drought.

One group of researchers last year dubbed the change from extreme dry to wet conditions in the state as “precipitation whiplash events,” Quartz reported.

In 2014, then-Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for California, ordering prohibitions on wasteful water use like hosing off driveways and sidewalks, and watering lawns within days of a rainstorm, after a several dry years. That emergency order was lifted for most of the state in 2017 after a historically wet winter.

The Senate voted 59-41 to stop President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration to fund a border wall. President Donald Trump said he will veto the resolution.

North Haven police have released new details in the case of a 57-year-old woman who was killed in a hit-and-run crash while walking with her teenage sons Monday.

Police said Maureen Munzner was walking with her two sons on Ridge Road when she was hit by the driver of a red Ford Fusion around 5:30 p.m. She was pronounced dead a short time later.

The driver of the Ford Fusion fled the scene after the collision, according to officers. Police said witnesses chased after the vehicle but the driver did not stop.

Police said a short time later, a man called 911 reporting that he hit a deer on Mount Carmel Road with his 2008 red Ford Fusion. The car had significant front-end damage and a smashed windshield. According to police, the man gave inconsistent stories about the crash.

Investigators seized the Ford Fusion and the driver has been identified, police said. The North Haven Police Department is working with the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the Connecticut Forensic Laboratory on the case.

"The deceased victim and her family are owed an appropriate investigation, and our efforts will result in determining all of the facts associated with this tragedy," police wrote in a Facebook post.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact North Haven police.

“They don’t discriminate - they’re on every road we’ve got,” Michael Thompson, superintendent of New Britain Public Works said.

As sure as spring is set to come, so too is a familiar battle in New Britain.

“We fill them and then two days later they’re out again,” Thompson said.

This year the Hardware City is bringing out the big tools even more to fight potholes.

“With all of the groundwater that’s in the ground it’s making the road move more fluctuation more potholes and we usually get,” Thompson said.

Thompson says the freeze/thaw pattern has caused more potholes to pop up. The city is now more aware of the problem spots after launching its See-Click-Fix App, repairing nearly 500 potholes since launching the app last April.

“The volume of responses that we are addressing is definitely more than we’ve ever had in the past,” New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart said.

Stewart says while the pothole requests are welcome, they’ve come with a cost.

“We are looking at by the end of this year having to transfer some more money to purchase more asphalt to take care of all the complaints,” Stewart said.

“I was like oh no that’s a flat tire right there,” Brandon Higley-Blair said.

Higley-Blair has felt the hard hits but knowing public works crews are up for the battle means he can hit the road with less potholes to avoid.

“There’s definitely more they could do but it’s good to see them out there doing it,” Higley-Blair said.

The city says its mostly using a cold patch right now that only temporarily fixes the potholes. There is one crew that drives daily down to New Haven to get a hot asphalt mixture. The city is expected to use a more permanent asphalt mixture by April once Tilcon’s plant re-opens.

Jim Hochdorfer bought his home in Old Wethersfield two-and-a-half years ago.

“It’s a great neighborhood,” said Hochdorfer.

After decades of dormancy, the train tracks that run right behind his and hundreds of other Wethersfield homes are about to be used again.

The Providence and Worcester freight service will transport soil, lumber, and steel between Hartford and Middletown, according to railroad spokesperson, Michael Williams. He says trains will come through Wethersfield twice a day. Williams said the railroad hopes to one day expand service from New Haven to Springfield, Massachusetts.

“I do have two little ones. Being so close to the track. If it comes through overnight, my boys are sleeping, I’m kind of worried that might wake them up,” said Eric Barnard.

Hours of operation will be based on customer need said Williams. State and town officials say the train will be required to sound its horns for 15-seconds within a quarter mile of each of the eight crossings in Wethersfield. That’s a federal law that the town says overrides any noise ordinance it has.

“The weight of it would vibrate more than anything. It was very heavy coming through when they were using it,” said Joe Pizzoni.

Pizzoni, a longtime resident, remembers what it was like the last time trains came through. He says the potential noise doesn’t bother him.

“I would be more concerned about the property value of the houses in the area,” Pizzoni said.

The potential racket on the rails is a cause for concern for the Hochdorfers who have young children.

“If they’re walking or playing and even just the noise that could be coming cause it’s not that far from my house,” Hochdorfer said.

It’s something he and his wife weren’t thinking about when they settled into this quaint neighborhood.

“It would have been under consideration for sure,” said Hochdorfer.

According to town officials, seven out of the eight railroad crossings in Wethersfield, crossings that some students use on their way to school, do not have flashing lights or gates.

Wethersfield Town Engineer Derrick Gregor said it will add advanced warning signs, stop and yield signs, but has no plans to add more gates.

Gregor said the resumption of service will have a significant impact on the community.

“Based on the recent public information meeting held on March 6 with representatives of DOT and Providence and Worcester Railroad (a.k.a. Genesee and Wyoming Railroad), Town staff and residents’ concerns center around safety and quality of life issues,” said Gregor. “Since the tracks have been dormant for so long, some residents, especially children, have never seen trains come through Town, and given their plans to restart service this spring, there is limited time available for educating students in our school system about the related hazards before service resumes.”

The school district is working to get out the word to all of their students whether they ride, bike, and walk to school.

Superintendent Michael Emmett said safety tips have been posted on the district’s website. They also plan to hold assemblies in school.

Emmett said many of their students have never seen a train come through their town.

He wants to make sure they are looking up and don’t have their faces in their phones as they are walking to and from school.

“We have to start the process of retraining ourselves. These tracks have been dormant for ten years, the ten years I’ve been here. It’s just been you head right over them. So, now we have to take a more cautious approach,” said Emmett.

Emmett said school buses already operate under the assumption that there could be a train on these tracks, stopping and opening their doors when they approach.

Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesperson Kevin Nursick said whether the tracks are active or not, walking on them is considered trespassing.

Williams said the railroad says it will be following federal guidelines by ringing bells and sounding its horn as it approaches each crossing and that they will only run 10 miles per hour.

New Haven city officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday afternoon at the future site of “44 Olive Street.”

“We’re generally fully built out, so reinvestment in areas that are somewhat under developed lots of surface parking lots very important to put those into more important use,” said New Haven’s Interim Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli.

Developers say the plan is to transform the space in between Olive and Union Streets into nearly 300 rental housing units.

“What will soon be another downtown pillar to support growth opportunity and vitality in New Haven,” Mayor Toni Harp (D) said.

According to city officials, there is a growing demand for multi-family rentals near two of New Haven’s biggest employers, Yale University and Yale-New Haven Hospital, as well as bio-tech companies and their venture capital firms.

“What’s very important about this location is its access to both train stations, the highway system and probably the densest concentration of jobs in south central Connecticut,” Piscitelli said.

Developer Darren Seid from Epimoni Corps said there is no timetable for when construction should be complete. But once finished, this redevelopment project will connect downtown to the historic Wooster Square neighborhood.

“The charm of this neighborhood is so unique,” Seid said. “New Haven is unique in itself when compared to anywhere else in the country, the Ivy League component to it and the history here.”

The developers’ plan includes building more than 6,000-square feet of new retail space on the Olive Street side facing Wooster Street and its world famous pizza.

“The development will create a retail destination at this intersection,” Harp said.

There are four new reported flu-related deaths in Connecticut, according to the Department of Public Health.

That brings the total number of flu-related deaths to 44 since the agency began releasing flu statistics on August 26. The data includes all flu statistics through March 9.

Of the 44 flu-associated deaths, 27 were people over 65 years old, 12 have been people 50 to 64 years old, four have been people between 25 and 49 years old, and one was in a child aged between 5 and 17.

A total of 2,303 people have been hospitalized with influenza in Connecticut.

A total of 6,959 positive influenza lab tests have been reported this season:

• New Haven: 2,048
• Hartford County: 1,509
• Fairfield: 1,357
• New London: 524
• Litchfield: 400
• Middlesex: 388
• Windham: 223
• Tolland: 121
• Unknown: 25

West Hartford resident Michael Einstein and his wife were attending a medical conference in Sacramento, California when bad weather grounded their flight. His wife, a cancer surgeon, needed to get back to perform a life-saving surgery. They turned to NBC Connecticut Responds after they said the Southwest Airlines refused to understand the severity of their situation.

In late January, snow and ice grounded flights in some parts of the country and impacted travel.

“It was a lot of stress on us,” Einstein said.

Einstein and his wife were trying to fly home to Hartford from California on Southwest Airlines when they received a travel advisory during their layover in St. Louis, alerting them to inclement weather.

“I understand why the flight was canceled,” said Einstein.

But Einstein said his wife had to fly out that day because of a critical surgery she had to perform.

“She had a cancer surgery on a young woman and she couldn’t miss it. This couldn’t be postponed,” said Einstein.

Their options: fly to Newark New Jersey and pay a $761 change fee or wait several days for another flight to Hartford. They flew to Newark.

“It made me super frustrated and I was a little angry at the airlines,” said Einstein.

The couple expressed that frustration in a letter to Southwest Airlines requesting a refund. A customer service agent stated that customers are subject to a fare increase if they change their arrival city within 14 days of the originally scheduled itinerary.

They offered Einstein and his wife a $75 voucher. That wasn't good enough for the two. So, they turned to NBC Connecticut Responds.

“I felt like they didn’t care. This was their policy and it doesn’t matter on the situation,” said Einstein.

A Southwest spokesperson released this statement to us:

"We regret the inconvenience Mr. and Mrs. Einstein experienced on their return trip to Hartford due to the inclement weather, and we further regret the expense incurred as a result of having to change their flight. Given the circumstances, we are refunding the amount they paid to change their flight, and additionally, we have provided them each a $75 travel voucher for future travel."

The West Hartford couple received an apology from the airlines and a $911 credit for their trouble.

Tuition hikes could again be on the way for students at Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.

The university system’s president says the increases have to happen in the face of a huge deficit, but some parents say they don’t want to pay another dollar.

“CCSU… the tuition there was a lot better,” explained Michael Serrano of why his daughter is going to Central Connecticut State University.

Serrano is sending his daughter off to college this fall. They chose CCSU in part for its strong education program, but also because of the cost.

“It won’t be a burden for her in the future, all the loans,” Serrano said.

News that all four state universities in the system could see a five percent tuition increase is a concern for this father, who is helping his daughter pay for school.

“The increase, it’s going to affect us. Regardless. People say five percent is not that much. It will be a lot,” he said.

The Board of Regents Finance Committee voted to increase fees Tuesday, which CSCU President Mark Ojakian says is a necessary evil as the system continues to face a $25 million deficit.

“We took a look at what was reasonable in terms of tuition, and we made a decision to propose raising it by five percent,” Ojakian said. “We tried to, last cycle, increase it only four percent for two years. But we found that that wasn’t sustainable given the financial condition that our universities are in.”

Even with students likely having to pay more for the coming year, Ojakian says the higher tuition still won’t cover all the CSCU costs.

“No it’s not going to meet the deficit. I mean even with this increase, the universities will probably have to dip into their reserves up to $20 million.”

State funding for the university system has remained flat, and Ojakian says future tuition hikes could be on the way down the line unless legislators allocate more money.

“Unless we get additional funding over time from the legislature, we’re always going to have to talk about student tuition increase,” Ojakian explained.

While state tuition rates are still dwarfed by massive tuition bills at private collages, news of higher costs are not welcome.

“I hope that it doesn’t, buy the time my 13 year-old gets to college it doesn’t increase another five and so on and so forth,” Serrano said.

The state is supplying all Connecticut hospitals with an opioid reversal drug to give to at-risk patients and loved ones when they’re discharged from the emergency department.

The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) received federal funds to supply the Naloxone, often known as Narcan, over the next two years at no cost to the emergency departments.

DMHAS has already ordered nearly 6,000 doses.

“This saves lives. It’s all about chances,” said Dr. William Horgan, who practices emergency medicine at Backus Hospital in Norwich.

Horgan, who is also the regional medical director of quality and safety at Hartford HealthCare, said he sees overdoses on almost a daily basis. The ability to hand out naloxone to patients and their loved ones gives them a chance for recovery and treatment.

“It runs across socioeconomic classes. It’s almost anybody,” Horgan said.

When a patient is prescribed a narcotic for a broken bone, Horgan listed as an example, doctors at Backus also prescribe Narcan because accidental overdoses can occur, or other people in the same house can get to the drug.

Recovery Navigator Trisha Rio works with people who are actively using opioids and supports having a reversal drug available to hand out to at-risk patients at the hospital.

“If you have it, if you use it, you’re going to live,” Rio said of naloxone, wearing it in a readily accessible lanyard around her neck.

“I’ve had quite a few times where people have gotten Narcan from me and had to use it…” Rio said. “If they didn’t have it, they wouldn’t be here today because Narcan saves lives.”

In addition to the opioid-reversal drug, patients and loved ones will also get information on how to recognize an overdose, how to use the medication, and how to proceed if the person regains consciousness.

New London firefighters said they see an average of five opioid overdoses in a week.

“I think it’s one more option for people who may need the help and may not necessarily have the time to wait for us to get there,” firefighter and EMT Phil Burgess said.

Until Friday, the worst incident of mass violence in modern New Zealand history killed 13 people, NBC News reported.

That was before shootings at two mosques in Christchurch left dozens of people dead in what Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called one of the country's darkest days. They are believed to be the first mass killings at New Zealand houses of worship.

The country's deadliest peacetime incident since the turn of the 20th Century had been the 1990 Aramoana Massacre, in which a man shot or burned to death 13 people in a tiny coastal settlement. It began when a man confronted a neighbor whose dog had wandered onto his property.

New Zealand strengthened its gun laws after the incident so that civilians may register firearms after passing background checks and obtaining licenses. But guns may not be carried in public or concealed.

A 48-year-old Hartford resident is dead after crashing into a parked car and a house Friday morning, according to police.

Police said the crash happened on Deerfield Avenue in Hartford just before 5 a.m.

The driver was taken to Saint Francis Hospital and pronounced dead, according to police.

The driver was the only person in the car. Police have not released the person's name because they are notifying family. 

Police ask anyone who saw anything to contact them.

A 58-year-old man was shot in Hartford Friday morning has died and police are now calling the case a homicide.

Hartford police responded to Mather Street around 1 a.m. after ShotSpotter detected gunshots and officers found the victim, a Hartford resident, in a stairwell of a residential building. He had been shot in the neck and hip and was taken to St. Francis Hospital for emergency surgery.

Police said he was pronounced dead just before 7 a.m. Police have not released the man's name. They said they are reaching out to family.

Police said someone reported seeing three people running away from the area. Hartford Police Major Crimes is investigating.

Anyone who saw anything is asked to call police.

A Windsor woman was able to get out of her burning home early Friday morning after smoke alarms went off and woke her up. 

Fire officials said the fire started in a bedroom in the Palisado Avenue home. 

The fire spread to the roof line and there is significant damage to the inside of the home, according to fire officials. 

The house is uninhabitable. It’s not clear what started the fire.

One of the porn industry’s top agents has been accused by women whom he represents of fraud, sexual abuse and links to an illegal escort business — accusations including coercing performers to pay off "unconscionable" fees and penalties either in cash or by performing sexual acts on him.

Derek Hay, the owner of LA Direct Models in Los Angeles, is named in a complaint filed with the California Labor Commissioner in June.

"Most egregiously, he coerces some of his performers into 'escorting' and then, should they seek to terminate their (illegal) contracts, threatens to 'out' them for performing illegal sex work," says the complaint.

If they do not comply, Hay destroys their careers by refusing to book them for work, even if they have been requested specifically, it says.

Several actresses represented by LA Direct described to NBC how they were financially manipulated and funneled into prostitution by Hay in a 75-minute documentary produced by NBC.  

Hay, during a hearing before the state labor commissioner, denied any wrongdoing and any connection to illegal escorting. He has declined to comment to NBC. 

The women who brought the complaint are identified only as Jane Does 1 through 4. They say in the complaint that they fear retaliatory physical or mental harm and the ruin of their careers by a powerful industry insider.

NBC spoke to 26 current and former adult film performers and other agents who made allegations similar to those contained in the complaints to the labor commissioner. Many said they were afraid to come forward because they feared retaliation.

Adria Rae signed up as a client of LA Direct Models and although she has not filed a complaint against Hay, she described similar experiences. 

"It terrifies me that another young girl could fall victim to something like this," said Rae, using her screen name. 

Heather Berg, a lecturer in gender and sexuality studies at Dornsife College at the University of Southern California, said that employment law was poorly designed and put the burden of enforcement on individual workers. The state will not act unless individual workers bring a formal complaint, an expensive process that opens them up to retaliation, said Berg, the author of a forthcoming book on the industry, "Porn Work."

According to the complaint, the stigma against sex workers makes it difficult for actresses to seek legal help when they are subjected to harassment, coercion and other illegal conduct, despite the #MeToo movement.

"Yet, in these changing times, a small - brave - group of women have decided to come forward, risk their careers and their personal safety, in an effort to vindicate their rights as actors, and human beings, and to protect others," the complaint says.

Berg said that the #MeToo Movement had not made a huge difference in terms of performers' willingness to come forward and noted that performers had been criticizing Hay’s alleged practices for years.

"But it has made it easier for outsiders to hear those criticisms and place them into a familiar framework," Berg said.

She argues that one hurdle in bringing the #MeToo movement to sex industries is that anti-pornography feminists have convinced people that all porn performances are violent.

"So when workers come forward about actually exploitative practices, outsiders assume it's normal, almost something workers sign up for when they enter the industry," she said.

The complaint accuses Hay of signing multi-year, multi-page contracts with his clients but then submitting only one page for approval by the state Labor Commission. He requires producers to pay more than his clients' agreed upon fees but fails to pay his clients their share, the women say.

They charge that Hay is affiliated with an illegal escort business called The Luxury Companion, allegedly owned by Dwight Cunningham and Karine Michmichian, and that they exchange secret referral fees. Hay has used The Luxury Companion to book sexual encounters with his own clients, they say.

"Hay, Cunningham and Michmichian are willfully involved in prostitution and sex trafficking," the complaints alleges.

They also accuse Cunningham of threatening and engaging in physical violence against those who challenge Hay, with Hay's knowledge and under his direction.

Earlier cases filed with the state labor commissioner contain some of the same charges. One woman accused Hay in 2017 of withholding at least $1,955 from her for three modeling engagements, which he denied. In October, Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su ordered Hay to pay her $3,500 in unpaid earnings and interest plus attorney fees. Another woman, in 2013, said Hay required her to provide escorting services. She said she later dropped her complaint because she was losing money.

Berg said that support for workers who try to organize could improve conditions in the pornography industry. Performers have attempted to unionize at different points over the last 30 years and have been met with employers fighting hard to quash their efforts, she said. Employment law must better fit the needs of independent contractors and not place the burden of enforcement on individual workers, she said. Finally, prostitution should be decriminalized and laws meant to fight sex trafficking — the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act — should be overturned because they make it harder for performers to work independently and give power to abusive managers, she said.

Hadley Viscara is another Hay client who is speaking out but who also has not brought a formal complaint against him.

"Nobody should have to have sex with someone in power to get better work and to be treated better," said Viscara, who is also using her screen name. "And in this case you do."

"I’m speaking out now because there have been so many other girls who were in my exact same situation that couldn’t speak out," she said. "And his time is up."

Noreen O'Donnell contributed to this story.

The governor has directed that all state of Connecticut flags fly at half-staff in honor of State Representative Ezequiel Santiago, of Bridgeport, who passed away last night, according to the governor’s office.

A statement from Gov. Ned Lamont says state flags should be lowered beginning immediately until sunset on the date of interment, which has not yet been determined.

“We were terribly saddened to learn this morning of the sudden passing of Representative Ezequiel Santiago, a man who truly loved public service and his hometown of Bridgeport,” Lamont said in a statement. “The State of Connecticut has lost an outstanding advocate, and our hearts are broken today as we mourn his loss. He was a devoted father, fighter for his community, and a dedicated public servant. Our prayers are with his family, friends, and constituents at this difficult time.”

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said on Twitter that Santiago was a “great ally” and called him a “quiet, steady, dignified force for good.”

March is National Nutrition month, but many parents struggle with getting their children to eat healthy and nutritious foods.

Parents can get help for free in Hartford. Wheeler Family Health and Wellness Center is offering nutrition information and healthy toddler cooking classes as a part of their Free Toddler Nutrition Program. The classes are offered on the first two Tuesdays of every month, at either 10 a.m. or 5 p.m.

At Wheeler Family Health and Wellness Center, Flavia Rey De Castro is hoping for some help when it comes to feeding her picky 2-year-old daughter Juliana.

“The main source of my mom guilt comes from eating and nutrition for her,” said Rey De Castro.

She is ready to say goodbye to that mom guilt and learn how to get Juliana to eat healthier. She turned to dietitian and nutritionist Jessica Masterson, who is running the Free Toddler Nutrition Program at Wheeler.

“Setting a good example. So as a parent you want to show children that eating healthy is fun and good, show them that you like healthy foods. Another thing is variety. Offer your children a variety of fruits and vegetables - whole grains, lean protein. And my big one is always be careful of sweetened beverages and packaged foods,” said Masterson.

This week was all about information and next week is a cooking class. Anyone interested in attending the classes can just sign up by calling 860-224-6340 or email jmasterson@wheelerclinic.org. Masterson said walk-ins are also welcome. Professionals will watch the participant’s kids during the classes and provide the produce. They urge parents to be willing to put in the time.

“It takes about up to ten times for a child to be introduced to a new food for the child to learn to accept it,” said Masterson.

The main takeaways are to set a good example for kids by having parents eat healthy foods. Parents should offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, and give children a choice so they can’t say no.

“If you take them to the grocery store let them pick out the vegetable or fruit for the day,” said Masterson.

If parents feel they can’t get to a grocery store, or shopping just takes up too much time, then nutritionists said food delivery is an option.

“Have food, remember where it came from. So as long as those meals are less processed, not packaged things. Again, if you are getting a mail delivery and it is whole lean meat and whole grains and fruits and vegetables, then it's a great resource and makes it easier,” said Masterson.

Also pick a day to prep all of your food and get kids helping in the kitchen. The hope is we can all feel good, because of the good food our kids are actually eating.

“I feel relieved, I feel happy. Very accomplished,” said Rey De Castro.

The next toddler cooking class is being held at the Wheeler Family Health and Wellness Center on Tuesday, March 19 at 5 p.m. More information can be found on their website here. 

At least 49 people were killed during mass shootings at mosques in New Zealand on Friday afternoon.

The news is upsetting to people across the globe, including Muslims in Connecticut. 

Jason Tartt, the vice president for the Islamic Association of Central Connecticut, still plans on attending Friday prayer at the mosque in New Britain. 

“My love and respect for Islam is much greater than my fear and that’s what helps me get through my day to day,” Tartt said. 

New Britain Police have had a police officer stationed outside the mosque for Friday prayer for the last four or five years, according to Tartt. But following the events in New Zealand, police plan on having two officers for services on Friday. 

As Tartt prepares to attend, he said he wants people to know that Islam is about peace, not terrorism. He is hoping in the wake of this tragedy that people will take time to learn about Islam and break this cycle of violence. 

“We live in peace amongst other people and actually try to spread love and peace as our day to day,” said Tartt.