Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Meriden’s own Kam Hartenstein joins CCSU baseball’s coaching staff

Be sure to catch Italian Festival 2026 on the Meriden Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Friday August 28th Patch AM
Friday August 28th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Good day Meriden! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Meriden's own Kam Hartenstein joins CCSU baseball's coaching staff
  • How a Meriden childhood home helped shape Tomie dePaola's imagination
  • How a Meriden DUI case ended up on ICE's radar

Also on today's calendar: Italian Festival 2026 and 10 more events.

And lastly, we have a post from a neighbor, Debra B.!

Today's riddle: What did the tree say when Spring arrived? 🤔 (Answer below!)

From our Partner
Today's Meriden Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. After investing billions to light up their network from big cities to small towns, T-Mobile is America's Best Mobile Network in the US according to Ookla Speedtest®. Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 1H 2026. We thank T-Mobile for their support in helping to keep communities like ours connected and for making today's Meriden Patch AM possible.
Find a T-Mobile store near Meriden. Advertisement

Weather forecast:

  • Friday: Humid; an afternoon t-storm, with a high of 81 and low of 59 degrees.
  • Saturday: Clouds and sun; less humid, temps: high: 80, low: 55.
  • Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 83 and low of 64 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Baseball Announces Brown, Hartenstein as Additions to Coaching Staff (ccsubluedevils.com) — A Meriden native, SUNY Cortland grad Kameron Hartenstein, is starting his college coaching career as a new assistant for Central Connecticut State University baseball. The Maloney High School alum joins veteran coach Trevor Brown on the staff, bringing recent playing experience and summer-league coaching success to a program aiming to build on strong regional results.
   

• New London's Tomie dePaola left a legacy of 270 children's books (inklink.news) — Beloved children's author-illustrator Tomie dePaola once called 26 Fairmount Avenue in Meriden home, and some of his earliest creative sparks came from that house and local movie outings. A new profile revisits his Meriden childhood, his willful artistic streak, and how those memories shaped the 270 books that later captivated children worldwide.
   

• Connecticut Police Records Show ICE Repeatedly Requested Arrest Reports and Booking Photos, Often Within Days of Charges, as Immigration Agents Built Cases Statewide (parktelegraph.com) — Connecticut records show ICE has repeatedly requested local police files, including information on a man charged in Meriden after a drunken-driving crash, to help build immigration cases. The investigation details how departments statewide interpret the Trust Act differently, raising concerns among immigrant advocates about cooperation, transparency, and how much local police should assist federal enforcement.
   

📣 Meriden Shout Outs!

  • ❤️ I would like to thank Midstate hospital staff for all the wonderful care I received during my hospital stay. They were very compassionate and their care was fantastic. —Debra B. Like

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

NEW: Like a shout-out or pic? Click the heart!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Meriden

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Meriden PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Hartford HealthCare posted a job opening for Public Safety Officer in Meriden. Apply here.
  • Young Mens Christian Assoc Group posted a job opening for CAMP THUNDERMOON Summer Day Camp Counselor in Berlin. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Meriden here.

🗞 Nearby News

Berlin

  • Berlin Police Promote 2 Officers To Sergeant (patch.com)

Wallingford

  • Oral Appliance Therapy for Sleep Apnea Now at CT Offices (azcentral.com)

Ok Meriden! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: What a re-leaf! (Thank you Flo G. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Meriden