Staff Writer
Staff writer for Mercury Local covering government, elections, public safety, and development across multiple publications. Beckett has filed more than 600 stories on local policy, crime, zoning, and civic accountability in Connecticut and the Carolinas.
The Unionville Historic District and Properties Commission approved a rooftop solar array and two EV chargers at 796 Plainville Avenue on June 11, with no objection to how the panels would look from…
Jun 14, 2026
A planned electrical upgrade at Farmington's Yukon Road pump station uncovered hydrogen sulfide corrosion eating through the discharge pipes.
Jun 13, 2026
Three Farmington bodies weigh in on the fate of the Noble Energy truck stop, but the elected Town Council, the one residents keep asking to stop it, doesn't actually decide.
Jun 13, 2026
Farmington's Town Council issued two unanimous negative referrals June 9, opposing the Noble Energy truck stop at 8261 Fienemann Road and a separate National Land Holdings residential project, even…
Jun 12, 2026
A Southington man was arrested Wednesday afternoon on New Britain Avenue on charges of disorderly conduct and fourth-degree sexual assault, according to the Farmington PD arrest log.
Jun 12, 2026
The Farmington Town Plan and Zoning Commission voted 4-2 on June 8 to deny a special permit for a new home at 8638 Pine Drive.
Jun 11, 2026
A Farmington man was arrested Monday on two warrants: one for failing to appear on a pending larceny charge, and one for a new larceny charge.
Jun 10, 2026
Noble Energy wants to build a diesel travel center and warehouse on 86 acres that drain toward Batterson Park Pond — the public pond the state is spending roughly $10 million to restore.
Jun 6, 2026
Two 19-year-old New Britain residents were arrested together Thursday on a single West Hartford retail-theft incident, Farmington police reported — one charged with sixth-degree larceny, the other…
Jun 5, 2026
Farmington police logged three arrests Wednesday, all Hartford residents, each charged with first-degree criminal trespass.
Jun 4, 2026
A single overnight arrest: Kamren Michaels, 18, of Farmington, charged with breach of peace, underage possession of alcohol, and littering after a 1:35 a.m. arrest on Main Street. Bond posted.
Jun 2, 2026
A single arrest over the weekend: Michael Joseph Pariano, 67, of Avon, charged with driving under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane after a Friday-evening stop at Waterville Road…
Jun 1, 2026
Two weeks after the May 14 ribbon cutting, the Ad Hoc 1928 Building Committee approved $17,700 for a standalone air-conditioning unit serving the new Town Hall's server room — and pushed exterior…
May 30, 2026
Farmington police logged a single arrest in the 24 hours ending Friday morning: a sixth-degree larceny warrant for a Hartford woman, served at headquarters by Officer Daniel R. Aparo.
May 29, 2026
At the May 26 Farmington Town Council meeting, Westview resident Tim Kelly asked the council for an inventory of the town's current volunteer-firefighter ranks by decade — twenties, thirties…
May 29, 2026
A Life Scout in Troop 170 of Unionville presented his Eagle Scout project to the Farmington Town Plan and Zoning Commission on May 27: demolish the deteriorated wooden kiosk at the Red Oak Hill…
May 29, 2026
Eight planning firms have submitted proposals to write Farmington's next Plan of Conservation and Development — the document that will shape the town's growth, conservation, and housing priorities…
May 28, 2026
FEMA has finalized new Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Farmington, with an effective date now expected in fall 2026. Some homeowners will be required to carry flood insurance who weren't before — some…
May 28, 2026
A Stratford woman, 31, was arrested at Westfarms Mall on Wednesday afternoon and charged with seven offenses across five separately filed incident numbers — an on-scene shoplifting and first-degree…
May 28, 2026
A legal opinion delivered to the Farmington Town Council on May 26 concludes that using the Don Tinty parcel for cemetery purposes would violate the 2004 deed covenant, and that the town has no legal…
May 28, 2026
The Farmington Architectural Design Review Committee took its first formal look at the Enclave at the Farmington River master plan on Thursday, May 21, and after about two hours of going through…
May 26, 2026
The Farmington Police Department's May 25–26 arrest log carries one name — a 1:19 a.m. on-scene disorderly-conduct stop on Colt Highway, brought in by Officer John A. Salute.
May 26, 2026
Noble Energy's owner insists his proposed Fienemann Road project is "a mini travel plaza," not a truck stop — a distinction he argues turns on scale and a business model aimed at the local trucks the…
May 23, 2026
The Farmington Inland Wetlands Commission worked through a backyard patio, a post-fire wetland restoration, an 18-unit active-adult subdivision, and the third hearing on Noble Energy's diesel travel…
May 23, 2026
Noble Energy returned to the Farmington Inland Wetlands Commission on May 20 with a redesigned stormwater plan built around Contech "jellyfish" biofiltration filters — a system the project's own…
May 22, 2026
A single name on the Farmington Police Department's latest log carried two incident numbers — a 2025 re-arrest warrant for failure to appear and a fresh set of 2026 motor-vehicle charges.
May 21, 2026
A plain-English guide to the Farmington Historic District Commission: what it reviews (exterior changes visible from a public way), what it leaves alone (paint color), and how the…
May 20, 2026
The Farmington Historic District Commission approved the final exterior details — gutters and a cedar fence — for the new home at 7 Church Street, ending a staged review that began in March 2025.
May 20, 2026
Six arrests in a four-day window. Three §14-227a Operation Under Influence charges, including the Meadow Road fatal-crash DUI.
May 19, 2026
A motorcyclist died Monday afternoon after a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck struck a motorcycle and a school bus from behind on Meadow Road in Farmington.
May 18, 2026
Town Manager Kathleen Blonski told the Farmington Town Council on May 12 that the Meadow Road sidewalk project will return as an agenda item at the council's May 26 meeting, with a potential vote at…
May 18, 2026
The Town Council voted unanimously to set the property tax rate at 27.36 mills for fiscal year 2026–27 and to divide an unexpected $1.7 million state aid grant — half for current taxpayers, half in…
May 15, 2026
A 2004 deed gave Donald Tinty Family Park to Farmington as a public park. On May 12, the Town Council took up — and a dozen residents came to oppose — whether part of it should become the town's next…
May 14, 2026
The Farmington Town Council voted unanimously on May 12 to advance a $30-to-$35-million plan to replace two of the town's three volunteer fire stations and renovate the third, seating a new building…
May 14, 2026
Farmington police logged a single arrest in the 24 hours ending Thursday morning — but it came with two charges, two incident numbers, and a $10,500 bond the man did not post.
May 14, 2026
Eight arrest records, five unique individuals, ninety-six hours, none of them Farmington residents — a six-charge Saturday-night pursuit cluster, a Friday-morning triple-warrant detention at Hein…
May 11, 2026
Nine months after a wave of departures left the Unionville Historic District and Properties Commission with three empty seats, two alternate seats remain vacant.
May 8, 2026
The Farmington Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commission unanimously accepted Stephanie Roman's intervener petition Wednesday in the continuing public hearing on Noble Energy Real Estate Holdings'…
May 8, 2026
Three arrests in Thursday's Farmington Police Department log: a six-count DUI warrant against a 21-year-old Avon woman that includes two counts of motor-vehicle assault, the first narcotics-sale…
May 8, 2026
A month-end reading of every police-beat article The Farmington Mercury published in April 2026 — twelve arrest logs, one wire-broken shooting at Forest Park Drive, and one statewide…
May 7, 2026
A single arrest in the May 4–6 Farmington PD log — Robert Derron Hinton, 46, of Wethersfield — becomes the third arrest at 1600 Southeast Road in seven days, crossing the threshold this column set…
May 6, 2026
A single weekend arrest at GA 18 — Officer Glaude's third habeas warrant in the FM series, and the first §53a-127f Possession of a Shoplifting Device charge to land on the page.
May 4, 2026
The latest Farmington PD log records one arrest: Joshua Anthony Soler of New Britain, charged with Larceny in the 6th Degree at 1600 Southeast Road. The notable part is the arresting officer — Jose R.
May 1, 2026
Farmington's annual budget referendum closed at 8 p.m. Thursday with 950 of the town's 18,707 registered voters casting ballots — a turnout of 5.08 percent.
Apr 30, 2026
After a 90-minute public hearing, the Town Council declined to vote on the south-side alignment and asked Town Engineer Russ Arnold to redesign the project as a south-side / north-side split crossing…
Apr 30, 2026
One arrest, two motor-vehicle charges, and the first FM log entry to put §14-140 on the page. Officer Sotelo's third appearance in the series.
Apr 30, 2026
Four arrests on the Farmington PD log for April 28, 2026, the densest single 24-hour log of the year by charge count. The official record on the Forest Park Drive shooting confirms the suspect's name…
Apr 29, 2026
Farmington TPZ on Monday night accepted a formal zoning application for the Enclave at the Farmington River — a 240-to-296-unit, $225 million proposal by Crown Equities affiliate National Land…
Apr 28, 2026
Three arrests on the Farmington PD log for April 27–28, 2026: a shared-incident dual arrest at 47 New Britain Avenue (Caron + Faulkner, Officer Karangekis) and a five-charge on-scene arrest at 1600…
Apr 28, 2026
The Farmington Police Department's 72-hour weekend log for April 24–27 records one arrest: Edward Charette of Wolcott, charged with shoplifting at 500 South Road. With this arrest, Officer Daniel R.
Apr 27, 2026
Farmington Police are participating in Connecticut's statewide April distracted-driving crackdown — the "Put the Phone Away or Pay" campaign coordinated across 37 law enforcement agencies.
Apr 27, 2026
A public hearing on the proposed Meadow Road Sidewalk Project will be held Tuesday, April 28, at 7:05 p.m. in the Town Hall Annex Council Chambers, 1 Monteith Drive.
Apr 27, 2026
Farmington's annual budget referendum is Thursday, April 30. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. across four locations.
Apr 27, 2026
Two arrests and eight charges in a 24-hour log introduce four new statute categories to the FM series — including §53a-64bb Strangulation 2nd, the most serious new charge debuted in several logs.
Apr 24, 2026
Farmington's $143 million operating budget and $18.3 million in bond questions go to voters Thursday, April 30. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Apr 22, 2026
Before April 30, voters decide whether to condition the air in four elementary schools. The bond is the simple number. The math around it is not.
Apr 22, 2026
The Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commission signed off on removing twelve inches of fill and a three-year monitoring schedule at 24 Summersby Way.
Apr 22, 2026
Town Meeting voters referred a 4.74% spending plan and two bond questions to the ballot. The average homeowner would pay $281.20 more in taxes.
Apr 21, 2026
Noble Energy returned to Farmington Inland Wetlands with a smaller plan for 8261 Fienemann Road: no restaurant, a shrunken warehouse and travel center, and wetlands impact cut from 3,700 square feet…
Apr 20, 2026
Two arrests over a 72-hour weekend window — both on Friday night, both on motor-vehicle charges, both by Officer Daniel J. Taylor, two hours apart.
Apr 20, 2026
Spring bulky waste collection starts Monday, April 20. Here's a quick reminder of the rules before you drag anything to the curb.
Apr 19, 2026
Six arrest records, two people — one of them Honesty Love Tirado, 23, of New Britain, with five incident numbers and $105,000 in bond stacked against her in a single Thursday morning.
Apr 17, 2026
Six arrests in 48 hours — three at Westfarms Mall, the first co-defendant pair in the Mercury's series, and four statutes new to the log.
Apr 16, 2026
Farmington's Annual Town Meeting is Monday, April 20, at 7 PM at Farmington High School. Here's the full budget timeline through the April 30 referendum — and what happens if it doesn't pass.
Apr 15, 2026
Farmington's spring bulky waste collection runs April 20–24. Here's what the Town will take, what it won't, and how to get your items to the curb correctly.
Apr 15, 2026
Four of nine commissioners showed up. They elected a chair who declined the gavel, moved a $14.3 million school HVAC referendum in under ten minutes, approved a sign that can't be illuminated, and…
Apr 14, 2026
The Farmington Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to send a $14.3 million HVAC referendum for four elementary schools to Town Council, approved a Progressive sign that can't be…
Apr 14, 2026
Two arrests in Farmington over 24 hours: a New Britain woman faces child endangerment and assault charges at Farm Glen Boulevard, while a warrant arrest at 319 New Britain Avenue — the log's most…
Apr 10, 2026
Farmington Police arrested Tatiana Cepeda, 31, of the Bronx on seven charges at 319 New Britain Avenue on Wednesday night — including three charge categories that had never appeared in the FM log…
Apr 9, 2026
Farmington's WPCA reports a strong March despite high flows, traces a grease backup to Five Corners, and waits on one pipe delivery before the Yukon upgrade can begin.
Apr 9, 2026
There are two Bruces on the Farmington Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee, which creates a certain logistical challenge when one of them is trying to address the other.
Apr 9, 2026
Farmington's Town Council approved a $143.2M budget for FY 2026-27, setting a 27.55 mill rate and locking in $564K in regional dispatch savings.
Apr 9, 2026
A solar developer eyes the former Tilcon quarry on Route 6 for a solar farm. If the project tops one megawatt, it bypasses Farmington zoning entirely.
Apr 9, 2026
Seven entries, five suspects, one name that appears three times. Officer Malik Brown notches his fifth appearance in the series with two DUI arrests on Farmington Avenue in a single day.
Apr 7, 2026
Two arrests and ten combined charges in Farmington's April 1 police log. Alberto Gonzalez Jr of New Britain faces eight charges including two felony protective order violations and a $100,000 bond.
Apr 2, 2026
The Farmington Police Department press arrest log for March 30–31, 2026, contains zero arrests. The first empty log since the series began on March 18.
Mar 31, 2026
The Farmington PD arrest log for March 27–30, 2026 produced four arrests: two DUIs, a fourth shoplifting at 500 South Road, and a Farmington resident arrested at her own address.
Mar 30, 2026
One arrest, five charges, midnight on Forest Street. Charles Anthony Calandriello, 20, of Plainville was charged with DUI, operating under influence, evading responsibility with injury or property…
Mar 27, 2026
The Farmington Police Department recorded five arrests between March 25–26, 2026, including a $803,000 bond on conspiracy and larceny charges for a New Jersey man, a nine-charge traffic stop on Scott…
Mar 26, 2026
Farmington's Ad Hoc 1928 Building Committee set May 14 for the ribbon cutting of the town's new Town Hall — the renovated 1928 high school.
Mar 25, 2026
The Farmington Police Department's arrest log for March 24, 2026 recorded one arrest: Hannes Josue Guaman, 28, of Wethersfield, charged with larceny sixth degree in connection with shoplifting at 500…
Mar 25, 2026
The Farmington TPZ unanimously approved a two-year extension and three model homes for Carrier Group's contested 25-lot Morea Road subdivision.
Mar 24, 2026
The Farmington Police Department logged five arrests in 24 hours, headlined by a 12-charge vehicle pursuit that ended at a Fernwood Lane residence and Officer Roque's third consecutive shoplifting…
Mar 24, 2026
The Farmington HS Building Committee Financial Subcommittee reviewed 282 change orders totaling $4.6 million on March 13, 2026.
Mar 23, 2026
Eight arrests, six people, four officers, three days. Including a woman arrested while already in prison, an officer on a two-day shoplifting streak, and someone served three warrants at once on…
Mar 23, 2026
At the Farmington Bicycle Advisory Committee's March 11 meeting, the Director of Parks cleared the way for long-awaited wayfinding signs in the Highlands, the committee discussed a $5,000 state…
Mar 22, 2026
The Farmington WPCA approved the 2026-27 sewer budget at its March 11 public hearing — the close of a process the Mercury reported on in February.
Mar 22, 2026
The Farmington Police Department arrested two people in a 24-hour period ending Friday morning. A New Haven man faces felony larceny charges.
Mar 22, 2026
The Farmington Police Department arrested one person in a 24-hour period ending Thursday morning. A Hartford man faces a single count of larceny in the sixth degree — the lowest degree available…
Mar 22, 2026
Farmington Police log eight arrests in four days — burglar tools, ATM scanners, a retail detour, a probation miscalculation, and one warrant. Combined bond: over $1 million.
Mar 19, 2026
The Farmington Police Department's arrest log for March 16–17 reveals two arrests, five charges, and one individual arrested at her own home. A full Monday in Farmington.
Mar 18, 2026
**Farmington's TPZ cleared five applications Monday — frisbee camp lights at Miss Porter's, a stormwater overhaul for Horton Electric, and signs for the Warren Apartments.
Mar 10, 2026
At a lengthy Feb. 24 hearing, Farmington officials and residents focused on a proposed Town Hall Annex overhaul, a $14.3 million elementary school HVAC bond, road spending, and unresolved questions…
Mar 7, 2026
Frozen pipes, float drama, and a 3% sewer bump—Farmington’s WPCA keeps it classy. Thanks, Farmington Storage , for the Museum air. 🏛️💨
Feb 16, 2026
Farmington’s Planning & Zoning Commission approved three major projects in a 4-hour marathon meeting: a Big Y supermarket, country club lounge expansion, and towing lot improvements.
Feb 11, 2026
Nine arrests in seven days prove Farmington residents committed to keeping local law enforcement gainfully employed. All charged are innocent until proven guilty—and our local jail properly…
Feb 7, 2026
Five arrests, many court dates, zero drama. Farmington stays calm—thanks to paperwork and Farmington Storage (Museum Air included).
Jan 30, 2026
A marathon Plan and Zoning meeting approved a 62-unit Scott Swamp housing project, multiple residential permits, and set the stage for February hearings.
Jan 28, 2026
Farmington’s Bike Advisory Committee weighed trail safety, school access, signage costs, wetlands constraints, speed etiquette, and grant timelines—one careful step at a time.
Jan 27, 2026
Four arrests, four court dates, zero chill. Allegations only—courts decide. Thanks to Farmington Storage for Museum Air™ that treats your boxes better than your decisions. 📦
Jan 23, 2026
