Melissa Cooney joined NBC Connecticut in July 2024 as a weekday dayside reporter.
She began her career at WCAX in Burlington, Vermont, where she covered the education beat on topics such as developments in the state surrounding standardized testing, restraint and seclusion, school safety, and COVID-19.
Melissa has also covered severe weather, including the historic July 2023 flooding that tore through Vermont and was on site to cover the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine.
Melissa is originally from Long Island, New York, and is a proud alumna of Wake Forest University. She holds a B.A. in communication media studies and has a strong foundation in journalism and studio art. Her academic background has equipped her with the skills and knowledge to excel in her reporting career.
She is thrilled to be in Connecticut and is eager to explore the state while indulging in her love for running and skiing.
The Latest
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Connecticut's Nepali community mourns, fundraises after deadly floods
Connecticut’s Nepali community is mourning the tragedy that struck Nepal this week. On Wednesday, a wall of water, ice, mud, and debris slammed into villages along the border between Nepal and China. Videos of the disaster showed people running before the floodwaters swallowed them up and washed out buildings and bridges. More than 390 people were killed, according to authorities…
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Waterbury house at center of captivity case approved for sale
The house at the center of a decades-long captivity case in Waterbury has been approved for sale by a court. The court has approved a buyer, a contractor, to move forward with purchasing 2 Blake Street for $165,000. The Blake Street home is where a man who goes by the name of “S” said his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, held him…
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Waterbury captivity case: New buyer reaches agreement to purchase 2 Blake St.
There are developments in the sale of 2 Blake Street, the Waterbury home at the center of a high-profile case where a now 33-year-old man who goes by “S,” says his stepmom, Kimberly Sullivan, held him captive for over two decades. Newly obtained court documents show that, as of Aug. 19, a potential buyer signed a real estate purchase contract…
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Animal rescue rehabilitates four puppies found abandoned next to New Haven dumpster
A good Samaritan found six hours-old puppies in a hamper next to a dumpster in New Haven on Saturday and called New Haven Animal Control. “We suspect that they were 24 hours old when we got them,” said Rebekah DeMatteo of Army’s Legacy Rescue. “Their umbilical cords were still wet and had traces of blood on them.” At the time,…
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Warrant says Somers man broke through sliding door, fatally shot man sleeping upstairs
A Somers man accused of breaking into a home and shooting and killing a man appeared before a judge Wednesday as an arrest warrant revealed new details about what police say led up to the shooting. Joshua Freitag, 33, is charged with murder, home invasion, and risk of injury to a child. Police said his two children were inside the…
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Man charged with murder in Somers homicide, family identifies gunshot victim
A homicide investigation on South Road in Somers has been active since around 4 a.m. Tuesday, as police work to determine the circumstances that led to one person being killed with apparent gunshot wounds and another being detained. Police arrested 33-year-old Joshua Freitag in front of the home on South Road upon arrival. The 9-1-1 caller said that Freitag...
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New details released in death of 1-year-old found unresponsive in car in East Windsor
The East Windsor Police Department has released new details about the death of a 1-year-old boy who was found unresponsive after being left alone in a car in East Windsor over the weekend. The boy’s father, 47-year-old Kevin Pell, appeared in Hartford Superior Court on Monday after being charged with risk of injury to a child. He is out...
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West Hartford roundabout gets another update as crews raise center section
Crews are making another change to the West Hartford roundabout that has drawn attention since it was installed last October. The goal is to stop people from driving over the middle of the roundabout, which was originally designed very low to the ground. That was purposely so trucks and buses could safely navigate it, but drivers would go right over…
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Law firm cited for unauthorized sidewalk advertisements in Hartford
Messages on sidewalks in Hartford and West Hartford are causing a stir. Personal injury law firm Trantolo & Trantolo is promoting its business and road safety awareness by stenciling messages like “Look both ways before you cross” and “There have been 12,418 motorcycle accidents in the state in the last 10 years,” in Hartford and West Hartford. But both municipalities…
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Bethany man sentenced in sexual assault case involving 5 girls
A Bethany man was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison, suspended after four years, in a yearslong sexual assault case involving five girls who were between the ages of 9 and 11. Anthony Mastrangelo, 27, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault of a minor and five counts of risk of injury to a child in connection with…
