Government

Terminated Municipal Worker Claims Discrimination in Complaint Against Town

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Town officials last week received notice that a former municipal employee filed a complaint with a state civil rights agency claiming discrimination. The worker, Beth Straubel had already filed an earlier complaint with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities last fall, and was fired from her job as senior accountant in the Finance Department about one month later in December, according to a complaint filed on her behalf by Trumbull-based attorney Daniel Angelone. “The rationale given to the Complainant [Straubel] by the Respondent [the town] for her termination was false,” according to the complaint, received Oct. 30 in the Town Clerk’s office. “In addition, Respondent relied in part on alleged past conduct of Complainant as justification for her firing; past conduct to which Respondent had already issued discipline to Complainant,” it continued.

News

David Finley Liddell, 81

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David Finley Liddell, 81, a longtime New Canaan resident, died peacefully on October 29, 2026, at Stamford Hospital, with his family at his bedside. Dave was born on August 11, 1945, in Evanston, Illinois, to William Finley Liddell and Ann Makemson Liddell, and grew up in Pocatello, Idaho. As a Boy Scout he spent his youth exploring the Idaho wilderness, hiking and camping along the Snake River and in the mountains around Pocatello, and skiing whenever the snow came. That love of the outdoors stayed with him for the rest of his life. He was also an accomplished trombonist in his youth, which sparked a lifelong love of music, especially jazz and, above all, Ella Fitzgerald.

Election 2026

Election 2026: New Canaan Hub [UPDATED]

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[Note: Election 2026 can be found here.]

Update 8:30 p.m.

Here’s an updated voter count from the VoterChecklist site:

Update 4:45 p.m.

More than 6,000 New Canaan electors have cast ballots in the midterms, according to the VoterChecklist site, via absentee voting, early voting or traditional Election Day voting. Francisco Cardona—Democratic candidate for judge of probate, facing petitioning candidate Michael Nedder—said from outside the polling place at New Canaan High School late Tuesday afternoon: “I’ve been bouncing around between Darien and New Canaan today. It’s been a good steady flow of people at all polling stations I’ve been to and I’m glad to see the good turnout.” Update 11:30 a.m.

A steady stream of local voters turned out Tuesday for a midterm election featuring six ballot questions regarding the Town Charter and a face-off between two New Canaan residents, Republican incumbent state Rep. Tom O’Dea (R-125th) and Democratic challenger Meredith Tobitsch. Outside the polling place at New Canaan High School, the two major parties welcomed voters from tents and tables of Dunkin coffee and donuts.

News

Warrant: Man, 34, Charged with Identity Theft

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Police on Oct. 16 arrested a 34-year-old Paterson, N.J. man in connection with the theft of a New Canaan man’s identity to open a Verizon account and attempt to buy an iPhone. The victim, an 86-year-old man, told police about the theft after he received a Verizon bill in February 2025 that was connected to iPhone 16 Pro-Max 2, according to an affidavit from Police Officer Owen Ochs that forms the major part of an arrest warrant application signed June 21, 2025 by state Superior Court judge Bruce Hudock. The Verizon bill was for an “Unlimited Plus” plan, though the man told police “he does not own nor opened any Verizon accounts,” according to the affidavit. About 10 days later, the man told police he received a letter from Wal-Mart that someone had tried to use his name and New Canaan address to fraudulently buy an iPhone in Cranston, R.I. 

Wal-Mart provided video surveillance that showed the suspect to be “a light-brown skinned male with a black-colored beard and mustache wearing blue jeans, white/black-colored sneakers, red hoodie and a dark-colored Atlanta Braves baseball cap,” the arrest warrant application said.

Around Town

Coffee’s on for Thursday

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Join fellow residents and NewCanaanite.com editor Michael Dinan for the monthly Community Coffee, to be held 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 in the Jim & Dede Bartlett Auditorium at New Canaan Library. The Coffee is presented in partnership with the library, and the brew is supplied by Zumbach’s Gourmet Coffee (thank you, Doug). Salon Anastassia provides cookies and muffins. The free, public coffee is a group conversation about what’s happening around town, moderated by Dinan. Topics come from attendees and we spend no more than 10 minutes per subject.