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

Mamaroneck Swimmers 'Set Pool On Fire,' Qualify For State Championships Mamaroneck Swimmers 'Set Pool On Fire,' Qualify For State Championships
Mamaroneck Swimmers 'Set Pool On Fire,' Qualify For State Championships This story has been updated. MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- Mamaroneck High School's 200 yard medley relay team qualified for the State Championships this week by winning the Section 1 title in 1:52.32. And MHS junior Nicole Parry was a double winner in individual swim events, taking first in both the 50 yard freestyle (24.3 seconds) and 100 yard freestyle (52.8 seconds). "The Lady Tigers set the pool on fire,'' said their coach, Cathleen Ferguson. Ferguson said Parry's feat made her the the first Mamaroneck swimmer to win two sprinting events in the same year in over 30 years. Not conten…
Mamaroneck's 'The Force' Celebrates 30th Anniversary Concert With Brassmen Mamaroneck's 'The Force' Celebrates 30th Anniversary Concert With Brassmen
Mamaroneck's 'The Force' Celebrates 30th Anniversary Concert With Brassmen MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- If you're overdue for inspiring marching band music -- and original players dating back three decades -- a free concert is planned for Friday, Nov. 14. at Mamaroneck High School. The powerful sound of drums multiplied by 16 equals “The Force," Mamaroneck's popular drumline and one of the nation’s longest running, top-caliber high school drum corps. The Force will celebrate its 30th anniversary at 7 p.m., in the high school's McLain Auditorium, 1000 W. Boston Post. They'll be joined by other top-notch musicians including the Harrison-based Westchester Brassmen, also f…
Fate Of Rye Playland Explored, Including Survey Results Fate Of Rye Playland Explored, Including Survey Results
Fate Of Rye Playland Explored, Including Survey Results This story has been updated. RYE, N.Y. -- If you missed Monday night's discussion of the future of Playland Amusement Park, you can watch a video of it here.  The Nov. 3 public meeting at the Rye Free Reading Room was hosted by Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker, a Rye Democrat. Parker reviewed the financial performance of Playland this past season and feedback from Sound Shore residents. At one point in Monday's meeting, Kim Morque, president of Sustainable Playland Inc., suggests that the Westchester County Board of Legislators and County Executive Rob Astorino find com…
Mamaroneck Wins Section 1 Field Hockey Championship Over Mahopac Mamaroneck Wins Section 1 Field Hockey Championship Over Mahopac
Mamaroneck Wins Section 1 Field Hockey Championship Over Mahopac This story has been updated. MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- The Mamaroneck Tigers field hockey team won the Section 1, Class A championship on Thursday, by defeating Mahopac, 7-0, in Brewster. It marked the third consecutive year that the top-ranked Tigers faced -- and beat -- second-ranked Mahopac in the title game. During its past three playoff games, the Tigers have shutout all their opponents, while outscoring them 17-0. Mamaroneck made it to the semifinals by blanking Ossining, 6-0, on Oct. 30. Mamaroneck advanced to the championship matchup on Tuesday by shutting out Suffern, 4-0, a…
Dillon Concedes In Race Against Latimer For 37th District Senate Seat Dillon Concedes In Race Against Latimer For 37th District Senate Seat
Dillon Concedes In Race Against Latimer For 37th District Senate Seat This story has been updated. WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- Democrat George S. Latimer won a second term in the state Senate on Tuesday Nov. 4, defeating Republican challenger Joseph L. Dillon, according to unofficial election results. Thursday afternoon, Dillon officially conceded in the close race and offered his congratulations to Latimer. Latimer of Rye was leading Dillon of Yonkers by an unofficial margin of 52 percent to 48 percent in the race for the 37th Senate District seat. Absentee ballots must still be counted. With all of the election districts reporting tallies, Latimer…
Ex-Rye Golf Club Manager Pleads Guilty, Faces Three Years In State Prison Ex-Rye Golf Club Manager Pleads Guilty, Faces Three Years In State Prison
Ex-Rye Golf Club Manager Pleads Guilty, Faces Three Years In State Prison This story has been updated. RYE, N.Y. -- The former general manager of the Rye Golf Club pleaded guilty on Thursday to grand larceny and two other felony charges stemming from years of thefts and falsified business records. Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Scott Yandrasevich, 50,  of 11 Abbey Lane, Danbury, Conn., entered guilty pleas to one count of third-degree grand larceny and two counts of first-degree falsifying business records. Yandrasevich faces up to three years in state prison on the charges.  Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for DiFiore, sa…
Newly Elected Village Trustees Appearing On Local Live Tonight Newly Elected Village Trustees Appearing On Local Live Tonight
Newly Elected Village Trustees Appearing On Local Live Tonight MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- Residents who want to hear what recently elected members of the Village of Mamaroneck's Board of Trustees thought of Tuesday's election can tune into The Local Live on community access television at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6. Democratic incumbent Ilissa Miller was reelected on Tuesday, Nov. 4 along with incumbent Trustee Leon Potok, also a Democrat. Miller will appear on tonight's LMC-TV broadcast along with newly elected Democrat David Finch. All three Democrats received more than 2,100 votes apiece, or about 18 percent of total votes cast. The village trustees-…
Harrison's Pet Rescue Builds Shelters For Cats Thanks To Home Depot Help Harrison's Pet Rescue Builds Shelters For Cats Thanks To Home Depot Help
Harrison's Pet Rescue Builds Shelters For Cats Thanks To Home Depot Help HARRISON, N.Y. -- Pet Rescue of Harrison, which opened its first permanent facility at 7 Harrison Ave. in July, expanded its shelter on Sunday, Nov. 2 by adding temporary living spaces for homeless cats. With the help of volunteers and donated materials from Home Depot in Port Chester, Pet Rescue can now care for about 80 more cats. Pet Rescue volunteer ToniAnn Sanin said that when she asked Home Depot to consider donating materials, “Not only did they say 'yes indeed' but they also volunteered to help build them.” Trevor Meinke, store manager for Home Depot in Port Chester, said, "T…
Mamaroneck Students Learn About Political Campaigns By Joining Them Mamaroneck Students Learn About Political Campaigns By Joining Them
Mamaroneck Students Learn About Political Campaigns By Joining Them MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- For six weeks leading up to Election Day, Mamaroneck High School seniors volunteered for federal, state and village political campaigns. They'll ultimately get Advanced Placement course credit for it. About 85 members of Joe Liberti's AP government and politics class learned about campaigning by helping with leaflets, making calls and going door-to-door. Nearly half of them worked for state Sen. George Latimer of Rye, who was reelected to a second term in the 37th Senate District on Tuesday. Liberti said he thinks learning about politics outside the classroom leav…
Mamaroneck Village Board Retains Democratic Majority Mamaroneck Village Board Retains Democratic Majority
Mamaroneck Village Board Retains Democratic Majority This story has been updated. MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- Democrats retained their narrow majority on the Village Board of Trustees on Tuesday by sweeping three elections, according to unofficial results. Incumbent Democrats Ilissa Miller and Leon Potok teamed up with David Finch, each garnering about 18 percent of the total votes cast, according to unofficial returns from the Westchester County Board of Elections. Finch had won the Sept. 9 primary over Trustee Andres Bermudez-Hallstrom, who was not endorsed by the Democratic Party.  More than 11,000 village residents cast votes in the loc…
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