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to data suggesting opioid overdoses in Connecticut may be leveling off after years of dramatic increases. The decline in emergency room visits for suspected overdoses is slight, but a welcome shift from typical reports from the state Department of Public Health. While there were increases in less populated parts of the state, it’s encouraging that there were significant dips from 377 to 321 in New Haven County; 267 to 204 in Fairfield County; and 416 to 356 in Hartford County. There were also eight fewer fatal overdoses across the state compared with the previous year.

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to anyone in the state Republican Republican Party camp who thought it was a good idea to exploit Valerie Reyes’ death for political purposes. On the day of Reyes’ funeral, the party tweeted a video with the words “Valerie Reyes is Dead, Your Silence is Deafening,” as a criticism of U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, who are both Democrats. “Secure the Border Now,” the tweet proclaimed. State Party Chairman J.R. Romano took the video down at the family’s request but seemed to remain tone-deaf to why such an action is unseemly. Reyes’ body was found in Greenwich and the man charged in her death illegally overstayed his visa.

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to a pair of Connecticut lawmakers taking a measured approach to an outline to fight climate change. Known as the Green New Deal, the framework calls for major investments in new technology and clean energy along with what are unquestionably major changes to the national landscape such as a transit and health care overhaul. Three of Connecticut’s five U.S. representatives quickly signaled support, but two, Jahana Hayes in the Fifth District, and Jim Himes in the Fourth, initially held off, with Hayes pledging support this week. Climate change might be the greatest challenge we face, and any proposed solution is bound to involve many trade-offs. Still, it’s welcome to see lawmakers take time before such a big step.

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to a debate on a bill to ban the state and its municipalities from installing artificial turf on athletic fields. While there are drawbacks to grass fields, such as maintenance costs and its unpredictability, too many questions have been raised about various artificial turf fields and their potential health effects over the years. A number of towns have already moved away from certain turf fields, including those made from ground-up tires, and others are considering following suit. While there are many questions about different varieties of turf and what long-term effects they might have, it’s good to see lawmakers taking up this issue, and it would be nice to see more grass growing on fields across the state.

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to the memory of Efrain “Chico” Chacurian, who died last week at 94 after a lifetime in the soccer community, locally, nationally and internationally. A former member of the U.S. national team, he was at the time of his death the oldest living goal scorer in U.S. World Cup history. Later he went on to coach at the University of Bridgeport, Southern Connecticut State University and Yale. A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, he has a soccer field named for him in Stratford, where he was known to get into a game even into his 90s.

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to the Winkel brothers, Chris and Pat, the starting first baseman and catcher, respectively, on the University of Connecticut’s baseball team this year. The Orange natives, each of whom could one day end up playing professionally, are teammates again for the first time in three years, when Chris was a senior and Pat a sophomore at Amity

High. Both have caught the eye of Major League scouts, with Pat selected in the amateur draft out of high school even as he was headed to UConn. The college baseball season is already underway, and the Winkel brothers could have the Huskies going places.