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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Wrong-way drivers reported twice over the weekend in Connecticut
CT DOT has been working to stop wrong-way drivers by installing wrong-way detection systems with 300 of them up across the state.
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Officials condemn white supremacist rally held in Danbury, Conn., over weekend
Danbury officials said it was a group of white supremacists who began their rally in front of the police station. Then, they walked down Main Street, chanting and doing the Nazi salute.
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UConn parent sues school to stop removal of blue light emergency phones
Blue light phones are located all over UConn, and with the push of a button, they call 911 if the person using them is in danger.
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Attorney wants DCF to release more records to victim in Waterbury, Conn. captivity case
The legal team for a man who says he was held captive by his stepmother for more than two decades says the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families are hiding relevant records from them. A now 33-year-old man who goes by the name of ‘S’ says his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, held him…
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Claims commissioner weighs access to DCF records in Connecticut captivity case
During a hearing Monday, attorneys for the man known as “S” argued they need more information from DCF before they can adequately respond to the state’s effort to dismiss his claim.
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8 vehicles involved in crash on I-291 in Connecticut; 3 people seriously injured
Eight vehicles were involved in a serious crash on Interstate 291 West in South Windsor on Monday morning, leaving three people with serious injuries, firefighters said. There were nine people total in the vehicles involved in the crash, according to officials. Three people suffered serious injuries, three had minor injuries, and three declined medical attention, according to the South Windsor…
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Warrant says Somers, Conn. 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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1 person dead, 1 detained after suspicious incident at Somers, Conn., home
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 forced...
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New details released in death of 1-year-old found unresponsive in car in Connecticut
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 on...
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Bethany, Conn. 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...
