Jon Craig

Reporter

jon.craig@dailyvoice.com

Pleasantville native Jon Craig is special editor for the Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange and Dutchess Daily Voice sites. He is also the primary reporter for Daily Voice Plus Politics in Westchester and Fairfield.

Jon graduated from Cornell University and received his master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Across a 35-year career, he's worked as a reporter for daily newspapers in Chicago, New York, Ohio & Washington, D.C and as managing editor for weekly newspapers in Rye, White Plains and Harrison.

Jon also writes periodically for the Cornell Chronicle.

Career Highlights:

  • Covered Metro-North train wreck that killed a motorist and five commuters, 2015
  • Researched state investigative project for PublicIntegrity.org, 2011-12
  • National MADD award for database analysis of repeat drunk drivers in Ohio, 2008.
  • Henry F. Guggenheim Fellow, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2010.
  • Sentenced to jail for protecting confidential sources (won on appeal), 1999.
  • Broke 30th anniversary story about Kent State shootings — using FBI records, resurrecting theory a student informant triggered fatal National Guard volley, May 2000.
  • Covered Ground Zero after Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks.
  • Uncovered voting problems before & during presidential recount in Ohio, 2004.
  • Witnessed botched Death Row execution of Romell Broom in 2009, one of more than a dozen I covered; Wrote about three inmates whose death sentences were commuted to life without parole.
  • Won IRE, SDX and multiple national & state awards for series led by Erik Kriss investigating New York General Assembly. 1994.
  • Guest lecturer at universities in NY & Ohio. Taught Syracuse high school journalism class.
  • Co-authored IRE-award winning series on illegal restraints/beatings at juvenile detention centers. Gov. Mario Cuomo had NY inspector general confirm what Hart Seely and I found at Division for Youth & fired top directors, 1993.
  • Survived Air Force Kool School training at North Pole, 1996.
  • Covered Persian Gulf wars, including 2002 bomb missions from Turkey and stateside Army/Air Guard training. 1991.
  • Supervised overnight coverage of Pan Am Flight 103 after Libyan bomb killed 35 Syracuse University students over Lockerbie, Scotland, 1988.
  • Covered aftermath of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s fatal plane crash from Cape Cod, 1999.
  • Greeted Kurt Vonnegut Jr. as Cornell Sun sports editor during daily's 100th anniversary dinner in May 1980. 

Jon Craig's Contributions

County Economic Development Director Details 'What Makes Westchester Great' County Economic Development Director Details 'What Makes Westchester Great'
County Economic Development Director Details 'What Makes Westchester Great' WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- During a recent "Celebrate Westchester" reception hosted by Daily Voice, public officials were asked what they think makes this county great. Yonkers resident William Mooney III, director of economic development for Westchester County, said business leaders cite three top reasons for relocating or staying here: Westchester's highly talented and skilled workforce.  Accessibility to train lines, highways and airports. Quality of life including the arts, parks and proximity to the Hudson River and Long Island Sound. "Come to Westchester," Mooney…
County Health Department, Firefighters Respond To Home Heating Oil Spill County Health Department, Firefighters Respond To Home Heating Oil Spill
County Health Department, Firefighters Respond To Home Heating Oil Spill MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- Town of Mamaroneck firefighters responded to a report of a home heating oil spill on Wednesday. Town police confirmed the call to 168 Myrtle Blvd. about 4:30 p.m. The Westchester County Department of Health also was called to investigate the spill, which involved at least 1,000 gallons of oil, according to police. There were no reports of injuries or fire as a result of the spill.
Police Report Nine Cars Broken Into, Van Stolen In Greenburgh Police Report Nine Cars Broken Into, Van Stolen In Greenburgh
Police Report Nine Cars Broken Into, Van Stolen In Greenburgh GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Nine vehicles were broken into and a 2014 Chevy van was stolen over the weekend, according to Greenburgh police. The breakins occurred in the northern end of the town between 10 p.m. on Saturday and 6 a.m. on Sunday, according to police. All 10 vehicles were apparently left unlocked, police said on Monday. Residents are urged to: -- Secure vehicles and keep any personal items and valuables out of sight. -- Don’t leave keys in the vehicle while unattended. -- Don't leave items such as purses or computers with personal information in vehicles. Anyone with information …
21-Year-Old Admits Guilt In Westchester Home Invasion Murder 21-Year-Old Admits Guilt In Westchester Home Invasion Murder
21-Year-Old Admits Guilt In Westchester Home Invasion Murder PORT CHESTER, N.Y. -- A 21-year-old man entered a guilty plea in the 2011 murder of his former neighbor, Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty said on Wednesday. Jahkim McGhee of 544 Locust Ave. in Port Chester pled guilty earlier Wednesday to first-degree manslaughter in the brutal stabbing death of Anthony Guglielmo, a 54-year-old plumber, during a home invasion.  McGhee was indicted in October 2014 as reported here by Daily Voice. “For over two years, Port Chester police and prosecutors relentlessly worked this case," McCarty said in a press statement. "While i…
Firefighters Battle Apartment Building Blaze Along Route 9 In Dutchess Firefighters Battle Apartment Building Blaze Along Route 9 In Dutchess
Firefighters Battle Apartment Building Blaze Along Route 9 In Dutchess HYDE PARK, N.Y. -- Route 9 is closed as firefighters from multiple departments in Dutchess County battled a blaze in a large apartment building Wednesday. The three-alarm fire was reported to be "through the roof" by 11 a.m.  Route 9 was expected to be closed at least through 3 p.m. between Big Meadow Lane and St. Andrew's Road, fire officials said.
52-Year-Old Pedestrian Killed In Dutchess County Accident 52-Year-Old Pedestrian Killed In Dutchess County Accident
52-Year-Old Pedestrian Killed In Dutchess County Accident AMENIA, N.Y. -- A 52-year-old Amenia man was killed on Tuesday night in a car-pedestrian accident, according to the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office. The preliminary investigation appears to clear a 29-year-old driver from New York City of any wrongdoing, the Sheriff's Office said in a press statement.  The fatal crash occurred on State Route 22 near State Route 343 in the Town of Amenia at about 8:30 a.m. Sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 dispatch of a car-pedestrian crash, and upon arrival they discovered Theodore Miles Jr. lying in the northbound lane of Route 22 with serious injuri…
Verizon Contract Talks Stalled As Union Rejects Company's Latest Offer Verizon Contract Talks Stalled As Union Rejects Company's Latest Offer
Verizon Contract Talks Stalled As Union Rejects Company's Latest Offer WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- No end is expected soon in the walkout of nearly 40,000 Verizon line workers, union officials said Tuesday. The workers’ contract expired on Aug. 2, 2015, and a strike began on April 13 including about 1,500 Verizon union employees in Westchester, Rockland and Dutchess counties. Thousands of Verizon and electrical union workers also are on strike in New Jersey and Connecticut. Union officials said Tuesday they have rejected management's last contract offer -- which has remain unchanged, according to Anthony Pugliese, vice president for Local 1103 of the Communications …
Federal Housing Monitor Recommends Suing Seven Westchester Communities Federal Housing Monitor Recommends Suing Seven Westchester Communities
Federal Housing Monitor Recommends Suing Seven Westchester Communities WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A federal housing monitor recommends that the U.S. Justice Department sue seven communities in Westchester, county officials said on Monday. James Johnson, the monitor assigned to the 2009 affordable housing settlement between Westchester County and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In his “Third Biennial Assessment” of the housing settlement, which was released on Friday, Johnson conceded that the county has met its latest annual benchmarks for developing affordable housing. Nevertheless, Johnson asserted that Croton-on-Hudson, Harrison, Lew…
About 1,000 Take Part In Annual Walk For Westchester Children's Hospital About 1,000 Take Part In Annual Walk For Westchester Children's Hospital
About 1,000 Take Part In Annual Walk For Westchester Children's Hospital VALHALLA, N.Y. – About 1,000 people took part in Sunday's 12th annual "Go the Distance" Walk and Family Fun Day at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. A five-year-old boy from New City --- who overcame complications from birth, led the event as grand marshal. Eli Carson Whittaker weighed about a pound when he was born prematurely at 24 weeks. As grand marshal, Eli represented the more than 20,000 area children who receive care each year at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. Despite Sunday's rainfall, the event drew a crowd of about 1,000, comprising former patients, their families, h…
Two Charged With Felony Drunken Driving In Separate Dutchess Stops Two Charged With Felony Drunken Driving In Separate Dutchess Stops
Two Charged With Felony Drunken Driving In Separate Dutchess Stops POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office arrested two men on felony DWI charges in separate stops on Monday. Jaison D. Cook, 38, of Pleasant Valley was arrested during the first stop about 4:45 p.m. Sheriff's deputies said Cook was observed by a motorist to be traveling erratically, at which time the motorist contacted the Sheriff’s Office. Cook was stopped on Burnett Boulevard in the Town of Poughkeepsie.  Cook was found to have a DWI conviction on March 20, 2010. Cook was found in possession of a dagger and concentrated marijuana, and was additionally charged in connect…
10,141 - 10,150 of 11,069 articles