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Jon Craig

Reporter

jon.craig@dailyvoice.com

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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 & Fire
Police ID Motorcyclist Who Died On I-95 Police ID Motorcyclist Who Died On I-95
Police ID Motorcyclist Who Died On I-95 RYE, N.Y. -- The motorcyclist who died Sunday morning on I-95 after suffering an apparent heart attack has been identified by state police as Steven Perez, 49, of Fords, N.J. State police said that Perez was driving a 2005 Harley Davidson motorcycle northbound on I-95 when witnesses stated he grabbed his chest and veered into the center median. Perez was ejected from his motorcycle, police said. The two motorcycles behind Perez, while attempting to avoid his accident, lost control and subsequently were involved in separate accidents. Both of those motorcyclists were transported to area hos…

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by Jon Craig
News
Westchester Faithful Still Feel Afterglow Of Pope Francis' NYC Visit Westchester Faithful Still Feel Afterglow Of Pope Francis' NYC Visit
Westchester Faithful Still Feel Afterglow Of Pope Francis' NYC Visit WESTCHESTER, N.Y. -- Local Catholics lucky enough to attend Manhattan services led by Pope Francis say they remain exhilarated a week after his visit to the United States. Sister Patricia Jelly of the Mariandale Convent in Ossining said, "It was an experience I will certainly hold close to my heart for a very long time. . . .The issues he is dealing with are close to my heart, too." Jelly, who once attended a New York Knicks' basketball game at Madison Square Garden, said she'd never heard a roar of joy as loud at the one that echoed throughout the arena on Sept. 25 as the Holy Fa…

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by Jon Craig
News
First Human Case Of West Nile Virus Reported In Westchester First Human Case Of West Nile Virus Reported In Westchester
First Human Case Of West Nile Virus Reported In Westchester WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- The first human case of West Nile Virus in Westchester this year has been confirmed, county Health Department officials said on Friday. A 72-year-old Yonkers resident was hospitalized, and is now recovering at home. County health officials searched for signs of mosquito breeding activity around the resident’s home and found no visible mosquito breeding areas or conditions that would support mosquito activity. “This first case of West Nile Virus should serve as a reminder to residents to take precautions against mosquito bites by removing standing water from thei…

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by Jon Craig
News
Lowey Announces More Than $1 Million Allocated For Low-Income Health Care Lowey Announces More Than $1 Million Allocated For Low-Income Health Care
Lowey Announces More Than $1 Million Allocated For Low-Income Health Care NYACK, N.Y. -- U.S. Rep. Nita M. Lowey announced on Thursday that more than $1 million in federal money will go to expand primary health care services in Rockland County. Lowey, a Democrat who represents Westchester and Rockland counties, said the $1,095,355 grant enables Peekskill-based Hudson River HealthCare (HRHC) to renovate a recently-acquired site in Nyack to serve 3,000 low-income patients while creating 14 new, full-time jobs. “Access to essential health care services for all residents reinforces the well-being of entire communities,” Lowey said in a press statement. “I’m proud tha…

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by Jon Craig
News
Manhattanville Students, Staff Warned After Positive Legionella Test Manhattanville Students, Staff Warned After Positive Legionella Test
Manhattanville Students, Staff Warned After Positive Legionella Test PURCHASE, N.Y. -- Students at Manhattanville College were warned late Tuesday that there was a positive test for Legionella, the bacteria that can cause Legionnaires' Disease, in a large water chiller on campus. No one has reported symptoms directly related to airborne exposure to the rare but highly contagious bacteria, college officials said. But students have come down with the seasonal flu -- which has symptoms similar to those exhibited in early stages of Legionnaires' Disease. The equipment, situated between Benziger Hall and the parking lot, was immediately shut down, and is due to b…

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by Jon Craig
News
Westchester Makes Presence Felt As Pope Francis Wraps Up U.S. Visit Westchester Makes Presence Felt As Pope Francis Wraps Up U.S. Visit
Westchester Makes Presence Felt As Pope Francis Wraps Up U.S. Visit This story has been updated. WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- Pope Francis wrapped up his visit to the United States in Philadelphia, where a cross made in Port Chester served as a backdrop during Sunday's concluding Mass. “It’s composite gold leaf, which isn’t a precious metal,” craftsman Larry Hoy told LoHud.com. Hoy spent about 80 hours building the 10-foot-by-8-foot cross, which features a carving of Christ’s crucifixion. Several other important physical ties to the Pope's visit were handcrafted in Westchester County: The chair, pulpit, altar and altar linens for Francis' Madison Square Gar…

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by Jon Craig
Politics
Lowey Cites 'Extreme Right Wing' In Resignation Of Speaker John Boehner Lowey Cites 'Extreme Right Wing' In Resignation Of Speaker John Boehner
Lowey Cites 'Extreme Right Wing' In Resignation Of Speaker John Boehner WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- House Speaker John Boehner, who said he will resign from his Ohio congressional seat and top Republican leadership post effective Oct. 30, received wide praise on Friday from his fellow congressional members, including U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey of Westchester and Rockland counties. Lowey, a Democrat from Harrison, cited ongoing political turmoil believed to have hastened Boehner's departure, in her prepared statement on Friday: "It is sad that the extreme right wing of the Republican Caucus continues to exert outsize influence over well-intentioned, reasonable pe…

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by Jon Craig
News
U.S. Appeals Court Rules In Westchester's Favor In 'Fair Housing' Case U.S. Appeals Court Rules In Westchester's Favor In 'Fair Housing' Case
U.S. Appeals Court Rules In Westchester's Favor In 'Fair Housing' Case WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled on Friday: "There has been no finding, at any point, that Westchester actually engaged in housing discrimination.” The federal decision came as good news to all of Westchester's municipalities and County Executive Rob Astorino who reacted: “This is a big victory for Westchester County. This vindicates our fight to protect home rule and local zoning." Friday's ruling stems from county government’s battle to reclaim millions in federal community grant money withheld by the U.S. Department of Housing a…

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by Jon Craig
News
Dominican Sisters Of Hope Among Those Soaking Up Pope Francis' NYC Visit Dominican Sisters Of Hope Among Those Soaking Up Pope Francis' NYC Visit
Dominican Sisters Of Hope Among Those Soaking Up Pope Francis' NYC Visit MANHATTAN, N.Y. -- Seven nuns from Ossining's Mariandale reported having a wonderful time Thursday evening and Friday while attending Holy services celebrated with Pope Francis. Mary Headley, Bette Ann Jasper, Anne Marie Bucher and Barbara Anderson attended Vespers on Thursday, seated in the 88th row at St. Patrick's Cathedral.  Three Dominican Sisters of Hope -- Patricia Jelly, Pat Flynn and Sharon Yount -- were among the lucky 23,000 people with tickets to attend a Mass led by Pope Francis at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. More about the Mariandale sisters was reported here by Da…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Port Chester Students Return To Class After Evacuation Port Chester Students Return To Class After Evacuation
Port Chester Students Return To Class After Evacuation PORT CHESTER, N.Y. -- A suspected sewer backup or minor gas leak led to the temporary evacuation Friday morning of two schools in Port Chester and numerous odor complaints from village residents. Students from Port Chester Middle School and JFK Elementary School were evacuated about 10 a.m., but classes had resumed by late morning. Port Chester Police Chief Richard Conway said Con Edison crews responded to the area and determined the odor was likely caused by a minor gas leak or sewage line backup. Utility and emergency crews continued to investigate, Conway said. More than a half-dozen ca…

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by Jon Craig
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