News: As a ship pilot, Richard Willette handles all military vessel and submarine traffic coming in and out of the sub base and New London harbor. The 51-year-old Ledyard resident recently surpassed the 4,000th mark — piloting more than 4,000 military vessels between his time as a ship pilot in the Navy and in his current capacity as a civil service pilot.

Daybreak: Reba will perform at Foxwoods, Flock Theater will present "Animal Farm," and "Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank" will be at Otis Library in just a few of the events that our arts staff is looking forward to in 2018.

Business: Internet-connected lights, locks and laundry machines are close to becoming everyday household items, thanks in part to voice-activated speakers such as Amazon's Echo and Google Home.

Perspective: Take a look back at the strange and surprising politics of 2017 through the lens of our political cartoonists.