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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Yale fans still proud of Bulldogs basketball run
March Madness is here, but unfortunately, Connecticut’s own Yale University won’t be moving on. Texas A&M took down Yale 80 to 71, but fans who came out and supported still say just getting to this point is an impressive feat. “Yale did the best they could,” Carter Smith, of West Haven, said. Not the picture-perfect ending the bulldogs were...
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Berlin residents may get relief from smell and sound problems
A smelly saga continues in Berlin, but relief could be on the way for people dealing with a noise and stench they say is coming from the building of a company called Bright Feeds. Bright Feeds takes food waste and turns it into feed for agricultural use. At Wednesday’s meeting, people in town learned that Bright Feeds is installing a new device...
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Winchester woman charged with animal cruelty, dozens of dogs seized
Police have arrested a 28-year-old Winchester woman in connection with an animal cruelty case and said 24 dogs have been seized during the ongoing investigation. Winchester Police Department said officers went to an address on Strong Terrace around 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday and served two arrest warrants on 28-year-old Sarah Smolak. According to Winchester Police Chief Chris Ciuci, the investigation…
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‘He put a lot of trust in us': Waterbury FD speaks out about rescuing man who says he was held captive
NBC Connecticut spoke to the Waterbury Fire Department about a call that changed the course of one man’s life. Police say a Waterbury man intentionally set his house on fire to escape 20 years of captivity his stepmother is accused of creating. It’s a call Waterbury Fire Department Captain Jon Paul Oldham said will now always stick out in...
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Court upholds decision for UI to pay $2 million a year for not cleaning up power plant
A judge says United Illuminating will have to pay $2 million annually for not cleaning up English Station, an abandoned power plant in New Haven. This is the culmination of years and back and forth between the state and UI about remediating the spot. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or PURA, imposed a $2 million annual penalty against UI in…
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Experts predict long road ahead for alleged Waterbury survivor
In the past 24 hours, tens of thousands of dollars have poured in for the 32-year-old man who said he was held captive for decades. Experts say, generally speaking, anyone in this position would have a long way of recovery to go. “This is probably the worst case I’ve ever seen in my lifetime,” Amanda Nardozzi, of Safe Haven of…
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‘Not one soul forgot about you': Fellow schoolmate recalls boy next door
“Not one soul forgot about you.” That’s Peter Lopes’ message to his former next-door neighbor, who was allegedly held captive by his stepmother in their Waterbury home for decades. Lopes and his mother, Paula Depina, who we spoke with Wednesday, said their family lived next door to the Sullivan house from 2006 to 2009. Lopes said he always wondered what…
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Former Waterbury principal says he raised many concerns about malnourished boy
A Waterbury woman allegedly held her stepson captive for 20 years, providing little food and water, and a former school principal is speaking out and said the school reported concerns. “We knew it. We reported it. Not a damn thing was done. That’s the tragedy of the whole thing,” Tom Pannone, the former principal of the now-closed Barnard Elementary School in...
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Federal funding cut to decrease fresh produce in food banks
Programs that help bring fresh and locally grown food to food banks and schools are losing over a billion dollars. The USDA cuts are part of the Trump administration’s effort to decrease how much money the federal government spends. The program is called the Local Food Purchase Assistance, or LFPA. It launched in Connecticut in 2022 and invests in farmers, connecting...
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Fate of dog that attacked shelter volunteer sparking controversy in North Haven
The Animal Haven in North Haven is at the center of a controversy surrounding what next steps should be taken with a dog that attacked a volunteer. The shelter says the situation has put them between a rock and a hard place. Myriam Beaudin, the shelter manager of The Animal Haven, says volunteers were cleared by a trainer in February…
