MIDDLETOWN:
Having an Easter bunny in the mall Santa Claus-style, that’s overcommercialization. Dropping ten thousand plastic eggs from a helicopter? That’s just holiday spirit at its best. No more hiding the Easter treats, no more celebrating the folk tradition of dyeing and painting eggs shells. The 21st Century has gone bigger, better, and slightly more militant about its peeps. Come down to the Keigwin School to watch as 40,000 treat filled eggs are dropped into a field at the Catalyst Church’s Egg Drop on Saturday, April 3.

Middletowneggdrop.com

A Middletown woman was arrested on charges of growing what police are calling “a substantial amount of marijuana.” Andrea Tiffany is accused of operating a drug factory on her property. According to the arrest warrant, state police confiscated more than five pounds of marijuana, as well as 131.8 grams they described as “packaged for sale.” Police also found a growing station equipped with irrigation, ventilation, and artificial lighting in the chimney, as well as another station on the basement stairs. Tiffany turned herself in after the warrant was issued for her arrest based on 41 pieces of evidence, including 27 cannabis plants, two growing lights, a shotgun and a rifle. Tiffany’s attorney admitted his client was cultivating the marijuana, but denied allegations that she was a drug dealer. Tiffany apparently finds 27 plants a reasonable amount to be growing for purely medical purposes. In Connecticut it is illegal to possess marijuana for any purpose, and possession of four ounces or more is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000 for a first offense. Cultivating the cannabis plant is considered a felony. Too bad for Tiffany that Connecticut and California don’t share drug policies.

The Middletown Press

HARTFORD:
What a coincidence that The Hartford Financial Services Group, which acquired the biggest federal bailout of any Connecticut company, managed to pay back the $3.4 billion they received from the program just as a state legislative committee is getting ready to vote on a plan to tax bailed-out companies. The Connecticut Legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee appears likely to pass the bill, taxing bonuses of certain company executives in Connecticut. Looks like the financial group has impeccable timing.

The Hartford Advocate

How charming to name an art show the “Culture Crawl.” That’s exactly what the Greater Hartford Arts Council Associate Board is calling their multi-venue art exhibit and happy hour for the second year running. On May 13, participants begin their “crawl” at the Greater Hartford Welcome Center and proceed to five downtown art venues. This year the event will feature live local artists, musicians, performing artists and an all-female a cappella group. Participants are encouraged to bring Ibuprofen, as viewing art on your hands and knees may have painful consequences.

The Hartford Courant

NEW HAVEN
Some people might think 55 is an age too old to keep playing make believe vet, but apparently one New Haven woman missed the memo. Police are looking for a female who came to the door of a home and identified herself as a member of the Milford Animal Control investigating a domestic complaint. She stayed for a half hour, left, and apparently didn’t steal anything. After further investigation, police determined that the woman’s description did not match any of the employees at the Milford Animal Control Office. The woman’s motives are not clear.

The New Haven Register

New Haven—famous for its high crime rates, thin-crust pizza, and . . . cutting-edge Internet technology? The city recently submitted an application to be a target community for Google’s new “Google Fiber,” an ultra high-speed broadband network. The network would provide New Haven citizens with Internet 100 times faster than the speed at which most Americans have access. Cities competing to be target communities were asked to upload clips to their own YouTube channel illustrating what sets their city apart and why they want Google Fiber.

The Yale Daily News