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

Police Arrest Teenage Girl After Threat At John Jay High School Police Arrest Teenage Girl After Threat At John Jay High School
Police Arrest Teenage Girl After Threat At John Jay High School EAST FISHKILL, N.Y. -- A 17-year-old girl has been arrested in connection to a threatening note found by another student on Monday at John Jay High School. On Wednesday, East Fishkill police said the teenage student from John Jay High, whose name has not been released, was arrsted about midnight on Monday after an investigation by detectives. She was charged with making a terroristic threat -- a class D felony. She was arraigned in Town of Fishkill Justice Court and sent to the Dutchess County Jail on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond pending her return to court. The charge stems from a n…
'Purple Rain' Airs At City Center Cinema In Tribute To Prince 'Purple Rain' Airs At City Center Cinema In Tribute To Prince
'Purple Rain' Airs At City Center Cinema In Tribute To Prince WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- City Center 15: Cinema de Lux in White Plains, will be screening the 1984 movie classic "Purple Rain" in memory of Prince on Thursday night. The music legend was found unconscious on Friday in an elevator at his Minnesota residence as reported here. The film is a semi-autobiographical tale of The Kid, a Minneapolis musician navigating the club scene while dealing with a romantic rival and a difficult family life. A massive hit upon release, it’s a showcase for Prince’s otherworldly musical, visual and sartorial stylings, and introduced the world to the glory …
'Purple Rain' Airs At AMC Palisades 21 In Tribute To Prince 'Purple Rain' Airs At AMC Palisades 21 In Tribute To Prince
'Purple Rain' Airs At AMC Palisades 21 In Tribute To Prince WEST NYACK, N.Y. -- AMC Palisades 21 will be screening the 1984 movie classic "Purple Rain" in memory of Prince several times daily through Thursday night. Additional showings have been added, according to the latest online listings. The music legend was found unconscious on Friday in an elevator at his Minnesota residence as reported here. The film is a semi-autobiographical tale of The Kid, a Minneapolis musician navigating the club scene while dealing with a romantic rival and a difficult family life. A massive hit upon release, it’s a showcase for Prince’s otherworldly musica…
Local Firefighters Assist In Battling Massive Sam's Point Brushfire Local Firefighters Assist In Battling Massive Sam's Point Brushfire
Local Firefighters Assist In Battling Massive Sam's Point Brushfire Seven fire departments from Dutchess County have deployed to help fight a massive wildfire that has scorched 800 acres of land at Sam’s Point Preserve in Ulster County, officials said on Tuesday.  The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response worked with the local fire departments to respond to the inter-county mutual aid request from Ulster County Emergency Services. Sam’s Point Preserve is located in the Shawangunk Mountains and features very thick brush and terrain that is difficult to access. Hundreds of emergency crews have responded to fight the fire that has scorched more than…
Firefighters From Multiple Departments Battling Massive Brushfire Firefighters From Multiple Departments Battling Massive Brushfire
Firefighters From Multiple Departments Battling Massive Brushfire POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Seven fire departments from Dutchess County have deployed to help fight a massive wildfire that has scorched 800 acres of land at Sam’s Point Preserve in Ulster County, officials said on Tuesday.  The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response worked with the local fire departments to respond to the inter-county mutual aid request from Ulster County Emergency Services. Sam’s Point Preserve is located in the Shawangunk Mountains and features very thick brush and terrain that is difficult to access. Hundreds of emergency crews have responded to fight the fire that …
Police Report Incident Of Man Trying To Lure Young Girl Into SUV Police Report Incident Of Man Trying To Lure Young Girl Into SUV
Police Report Incident Of Man Trying To Lure Young Girl Into SUV GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- A man tried to lure a 10-year-old girl into his SUV on Saturday, according to Greenburgh police. Police said the incident occurred about noon April 23 in the Valimar Community of the Fairview section of the town. The unknown male was drivng a white SUV, police said. ,The young girl was playing outside when the male stopped his vehicle and attempted to engage the child in conversation about his grandson. The child ran inside and the male fled the area in his vehicle, police said. The male was described as a Spanish-speaking Hispanic in his 50s with very light brown skin…
Hooded Bandits Steal DVlicious Contest Winner's Banner From Mahopac Eatery Hooded Bandits Steal DVlicious Contest Winner's Banner From Mahopac Eatery
Hooded Bandits Steal DVlicious Contest Winner's Banner From Mahopac Eatery MAHOPAC, N.Y. -- Three people in hooded sweatshirts stole a Daily Voice DVlicious banner in the darkness of night on Saturday. But images of the bandits and their van were captured on video and security cameras, according to the owners of Frankie's Waffles N Burgers. Co-owner Carina Evangelista said Monday that a complaint was filed with Mahopac police which is investigating the theft of a banner valued at $195. "I was a horrible thing. I hope they get these guys. It's just cruel,'' Evangelista said. In February, the popular eatery at 565 Route 6 was named the best place to eat soup i…
Meteorites, Lunar Rocks Land At Local Middle School Meteorites, Lunar Rocks Land At Local Middle School
Meteorites, Lunar Rocks Land At Local Middle School HARRISON, N.Y. -- It's not an episode out of Star Trek. Meteorites and lunar rocks are actually finding their way into science classes at Louis M. Klein Middle School. That's because one of the Harrison middle school's science teachers became a Certified Lunar Rock and Meteorite Specialist through NASA and became one of a few teachers in America to be able to requisition lunar rocks for his classroom for a couple of weeks, according to Monica Miles, a spokeswoman for the HarrIson Central School District. LMK Middle School eighth-grade science teacher Fred DePalma spent his winter school bre…
Westchester Pedestrian Fatalities Touch All Corners Of County, Study Finds Westchester Pedestrian Fatalities Touch All Corners Of County, Study Finds
Westchester Pedestrian Fatalities Touch All Corners Of County, Study Finds WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- A tristate study of pedestrian accidents found fatalities occurred in all parts of Westchester County.  Route 9A was rated "a dangerous road" because three of Westchester's pedestrian fatalities were on different stretches of 9A (also known as Albany Post Road and Saw Mill River Road) in Cortlandt, Briarcliff and Mount Pleasant, according to a three-year survey of federal traffic statistics released last week. Pedestrian fatality totals were much lower in Putnam and Dutchess counties, and much higher in New York City and Long Island, according to the st…
Astorino Cites Fiscal Discipline, Recognizes Fallen Hero In State Of County Astorino Cites Fiscal Discipline, Recognizes Fallen Hero In State Of County
Astorino Cites Fiscal Discipline, Recognizes Fallen Hero In State Of County WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino pledged continued fiscal discipline and economic growth on Thursday evening, during his seventh State of the County address, which was delivered in the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains. The county budget and the county property tax levy are both less than they were when Astorino, a Republican, first took office. During his speech, he pledged to keep spending flat and not raise taxes for the seventh year in a row. “I came into office in 2010 on a pledge to stop the madness,” Astorino said. “And guess what? We’ve don…
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