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

Rye Nursery School Students Treated To Executive Tour Of Grand Central Rye Nursery School Students Treated To Executive Tour Of Grand Central
Rye Nursery School Students Treated To Executive Tour Of Grand Central RYE, N.Y. -- Pupils from the Rye Presbyterian Nursery School got a treat, when County Executive Robert P. Astorino’s office arranged for Grand Central Terminal docent Dan Brucker to escort them from the Rye Train Station to Grand Central, riding the train with them and providing a private tour of Grand Central Terminal. The field trip was a surprise for the students who had studied New York City’s infrastructure, architecture and transportation for the past six months.
Hundreds Shine At Rye Derby Races' 27th Anniversary Hundreds Shine At Rye Derby Races' 27th Anniversary
Hundreds Shine At Rye Derby Races' 27th Anniversary RYE, N.Y. -- About 700 runners soaked up sunshine and competitive energy on Sunday during the 27th Anniversary of the Rye Derby. Runners, cheered on by families and volunteers, could choose either a 5-mile or a 5-kilometer route in fund-raising races sponsored by the Rye YMCA. The winner of the 5-mile race was Harburt Okuti, despite the fact that Okuti started the Rye race a few minutes late because of a conflict with an earlier race in New York City. Okuti, 29, earlier won the race in 25:56. The top female runner and overall second place winner was Salome Kosgh, 35. with a time o…
Republican Legislators Praise Astorino's Annual 'State Of County' Address Republican Legislators Praise Astorino's Annual 'State Of County' Address
Republican Legislators Praise Astorino's Annual 'State Of County' Address WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Republicans on the Westchester County Board of Legislators were unanimous in their praise on Friday for County Executive Rob Astorino following his fifth annual "state of the county address." Minority Leader John Testa of Peekskill, said, "Rob has been consistent in his mission to ease the burden on Westchester taxpayers. . . With all the unfunded mandates coming down from Albany, can you imagine where we’d be without the leadership of this County Executive?” Jim Maisano of New Rochelle, vice chairman of the board, said, "Rob did an excellent job articulating the c…
White Plains Neighbors Of Proposed FASNY School Plan Saturday Protest White Plains Neighbors Of Proposed FASNY School Plan Saturday Protest
White Plains Neighbors Of Proposed Fasny School Plan Saturday Protest WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Eight neighborhood associations representing residents in the south end of White Plains are planning a demonstration Saturday morning against the proposed French-American School of New York’s regional school complex on the former Ridgeway Country Club.  Public hearings have ended but the White Plains Common Council has yet to schedule a vote on the fate of the proposal, which has been debated for years. The project is believed to the most controversial land use project confronting the City of White Plains in the last 25 years.  The demonstration will begin at 10…
Valhalla Reporting High Opt-Out Rates On State Math Tests Valhalla Reporting High Opt-Out Rates On State Math Tests
Valhalla Reporting High Opt-Out Rates On State Math Tests This story has been updated. WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- Area school districts reported as many as half of their eligible students have opted out of the state-required math assessment test as the third day of testing began Friday. "It's an epidemic,'' one top school administrator said on Friday. "Kids are talking to kids. Parents are talking to parents. Kids start to panic." Reports from Elmsford, Ossining, Valhalla and Yorktown school districts indicate that -- depending on the grade level -- anywhere from 15 percent to 52 percent of students' parents have refused to let them take t…
Westchester Businesses Team Up On Earth Day To Promote Energy Efficiencies Westchester Businesses Team Up On Earth Day To Promote Energy Efficiencies
Westchester Businesses Team Up On Earth Day To Promote Energy Efficiencies ELMSFORD, N.Y. -- A Mamaroneck contracting company combined Earth Day with the Food Bank For Westchester to plug insurance breaks for energy-efficient construction. Michael Murphy of Murphy Brothers Contracting invited a White Plains-based home insurer to one of his continuing education courses held at the Food Bank offices in Elmsford on Wednesday to explain the first-time offers. Michael Kelly, marketing manager with PURE Insurance, said his company is offering discounted premiums while guaranteeing coverage of losses on LEED-certified homes worth more than $1 million. "It was real…
Westchester County Executive Praises Mount Kisco Mayor For Police Contract Westchester County Executive Praises Mount Kisco Mayor For Police Contract
Westchester County Executive Praises Mount Kisco Mayor For Police Contract WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino singled out Mount Kisco Mayor Michael Cindrich on Wednesday night during his annual "state of the county" address. During a part of his speech on "partnerships," Astorino mentioned years of study and negotiation about the possibility of Westchester County Police providing services to the Village of Mount Kisco on a contract basis. "Mayor Cindrich's goals were to improve police services, while lowering costs. I said it sounded like a good idea. My only caveat was that it had to be cost neutral to county taxpayers." Astori…
County Board Of Legislators Chairman Issues Response To Astorino Speech County Board Of Legislators Chairman Issues Response To Astorino Speech
County Board Of Legislators Chairman Issues Response To Astorino Speech WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz issued the official board response Thursday to the annual "state of the county" speech given by County Executive Rob Astorino. Majority Leader Catherine Borgia, D-Ossining, delivered this reaction from Democrats on Wednesday evening. Here are excerpts from Kaplowitz' speech: "I said that we would emphasize cooperation and compromise over partisan politics and discord, believing that bipartisanship is far preferable to legislative gridlock…and it has worked. . . "I’d like to share with you some…
Astorino Singles Out Putnam County Executive During Westchester Address Astorino Singles Out Putnam County Executive During Westchester Address
Astorino Singles Out Putnam County Executive During Westchester Address WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- During his fifth annual "state of the county address" Wednesday, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino singled out one elected official who is not a resident of Westchester. MaryEllen Odell of Carmel, a Republican reelected to a second term as Putnam County executive in November, was asked to stand by Astorino before his prepared speech to about 300 people at the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains. Odell's introduction came after scripted introductions of Administrative Judge Alan Scheinkman, Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore, County Clerk …
Democrats React To Astorino's State Of Westchester County Address Democrats React To Astorino's State Of Westchester County Address
Democrats React To Astorino's State Of Westchester County Address WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The ink was barely dry on Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino's 28-page "state of the county address.'' The second-term Republican from Hawthorne hadn't even delivered his fifth annual speech when eight of 10 Democrats who help comprise a majority of the 17-member Board of Legislators emailed a response Wednesday evening. Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz introduced Astorino, who credited the Democrat from Somers with helping restore a constructive, bipartisan relationship between the two co-equal branches of government. "Mike and I don't agree on …
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