Josh Lanier

Assistant Managing Editor

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Josh Lanier has spent years chasing leads wherever they take him — from presidential campaigns and murderers to mommy bloggers. His work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. His favorite story is still the next one.

Josh Lanier's Contributions

Auburn, MA
Obituaries
Her Presence Lit Up The Room”: Community Mourns Auburn Teen After Fatal Crash Her Presence Lit Up The Room”: Community Mourns Auburn Teen After Fatal Crash Her Presence Lit Up The Room”: Community Mourns Auburn Teen After Fatal Crash
Her Presence Lit Up The Room”: Community Mourns Auburn Teen After Fatal Crash The Central Massachusetts community is grieving the loss of a 19-year-old Auburn woman after she was killed in a crash that left her car overturned and submerged in Stoneville Reservoir. Finleigh Dragon, 19, was discovered in the reservoir off Rochdale Street around 2:20 a.m., according to Auburn police and fire officials. First responders found her vehicle partially submerged with Dragon inside. Dragon was taken to the hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead.  She graduated from Tantasqua Regional High School in 2024 and planned to attend Quinsigamond Community College in the fal…

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by Josh Lanier
Lowell, MA
Your Community
UMass Lowell Lockdown Lifted After Police Say Suspect Left Area UMass Lowell Lockdown Lifted After Police Say Suspect Left Area UMass Lowell Lockdown Lifted After Police Say Suspect Left Area
UMass Lowell Lockdown Lifted After Police Say Suspect Left Area Police lifted the lockdown at the University of Massachusetts Lowell after officers said the man believed to have a gun near campus had left the area. Authorities lifted the shelter-in-place order around 5:30 p.m. — about three hours after police began searching for the man. “Based on a search and investigation, law enforcement partners believe the suspect is no longer in the vicinity,” police said in a text message to students. “A large police presence is being maintained on campus, and officers will be stationed at all residence halls overnight.” Massachusetts State Police said they were…

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by Josh Lanier
Greenwich, CT
Breaking News
Stamford Investor Stole $34M For Luxury Life In Brazil, Now He’s Going to Prison: DOJ Stamford Investor Stole $34M For Luxury Life In Brazil, Now He’s Going to Prison: DOJ Stamford Investor Stole $34M For Luxury Life In Brazil, Now He’s Going to Prison: DOJ
Stamford Investor Stole $34M For Luxury Life In Brazil, Now He’s Going to Prison: DOJ A Stamford man who ran a phony Greenwich hedge fund and lived in luxury hotels in Brazil with stolen investor money has been sentenced to federal prison, authorities said.  Justin C. Murphy, 50, was ordered to serve four and a half years behind bars and three years of supervised release for operating a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme, the US Attorney for Connecticut Said.   US District Judge Victor A. Bolden also ordered him to pay more than $3.7 million in restitution. Federal prosecutors said Murphy owned and operated Greenwich-based Mara Investment Group, LLC, which he …

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by Josh Lanier
Fairfield, CT
Breaking News
CT Minimum Wage Increasing In January 2026, Boosting Pay For Thousands Of Workers CT Minimum Wage Increasing In January 2026, Boosting Pay For Thousands Of Workers CT Minimum Wage Increasing In January 2026, Boosting Pay For Thousands Of Workers
CT Minimum Wage Increasing In January 2026, Boosting Pay For Thousands Of Workers Connecticut’s lowest-paid workers are getting a boost, as the state’s minimum wage will rise to $16.94 per hour at the start of 2026. Gov. Ned Lamont announced the hike on Wednesday, Sept. 3.  “Nobody who works full-time should have to live in poverty,” Lamont said. “This is a fair, modest increase, and the money earned will go right back into our own economy, supporting local businesses in our communities.” The change comes from a 2019 state law that ties the minimum wage to the federal employment cost index, ensuring yearly adjustments based on inflation and labor costs. …

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by Josh Lanier
National Interest
Man Fatally Electrocuted Working At Yale Golf Course ID'd As 54-Year-Old Grandfather Man Fatally Electrocuted Working At Yale Golf Course ID'd As 54-Year-Old Grandfather Man Fatally Electrocuted Working At Yale Golf Course ID'd As 54-Year-Old Grandfather
Man Fatally Electrocuted Working At Yale Golf Course ID'd As 54-Year-Old Grandfather Police have identified the man who was fatally electrocuted while working at the Yale Golf Course last month as a 54-year-old New Haven grandfather. Luís Alberto Marcatoma was working on a restoration project at the New Haven course on Aug. 21 when a downed power line electrocuted him, Yale Public Safety Chief Duane Lovello has said. It's unclear if the wire fell on him or if he stepped on it by mistake.   The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident. Lovello said last week the case remains under investigation. He did not respond to a follo…

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by Josh Lanier
National Interest
Florida Ends Vaccine Mandates, Calling Them ‘Slavery’; Experts Decry Decision Florida Ends Vaccine Mandates, Calling Them ‘Slavery’; Experts Decry Decision Florida Ends Vaccine Mandates, Calling Them ‘Slavery’; Experts Decry Decision
Florida Ends Vaccine Mandates, Calling Them ‘Slavery’; Experts Decry Decision Florida will become the first state to eliminate all vaccine mandates. Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced the move during a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 3, comparing the mandates to “slavery.” “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo said. Previously, the state required children to receive measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox, and hepatitis B vaccines. Religious exemptions were allowed, but now parents may opt out for any reason. According to the World Health Organization, vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives ov…

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by Josh Lanier
Stratford, CT
Breaking News
NY Driver Hit 118 MPH On I-95 In Stratford: Police NY Driver Hit 118 MPH On I-95 In Stratford: Police NY Driver Hit 118 MPH On I-95 In Stratford: Police
NY Driver Hit 118 MPH On I-95 In Stratford: Police A New York woman is facing several charges after police said she was caught speeding at more than double the limit on I-95 in Stratford. Inga Foksha, 33, of New York City, was arrested around 1:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, after troopers spotted her red Audi A5 flying down the southbound side of the interstate at 118 miles per hour, Connecticut State Troopers said.  They pulled her over near Exit 33.  Troopers said the Audi was also travelling too closely to the vehicle in front of it, and was failing to maintain the established travel lane.  Foksha faces charges of re…

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by Josh Lanier
Durham-Middlefield, CT
Obituaries
Loved Ones Mourn CT Dad Killed In Fiery Middlefield Crash: ‘We Will Always Remember That Smile' Loved Ones Mourn CT Dad Killed In Fiery Middlefield Crash: ‘We Will Always Remember That Smile' Loved Ones Mourn CT Dad Killed In Fiery Middlefield Crash: ‘We Will Always Remember That Smile'
Loved Ones Mourn CT Dad Killed In Fiery Middlefield Crash: ‘We Will Always Remember That Smile' A Connecticut community is rallying around a family who lost their father in a fiery head-on collision as he drove home from work last week.  Venancio Papalotzi-George, 46, was on Route 66 in Middlefield when his Honda collided head-on with a Jeep around midnight Friday, Aug. 29. The Wrangler flipped on its roof and burst into flames. Bystanders pulled the driver of the Jeep from the burning vehicle, and paramedics rushed them to a hospital, where they were recovering. But rescuers could not reach Papalotzi-George in time. Authorities said he suffered catastrophic injuries and died bef…

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by Josh Lanier
New Haven, CT
Your Community
New Haven Teen Arrested By ICE Freed After 44 Days In Federal Custody New Haven Teen Arrested By ICE Freed After 44 Days In Federal Custody New Haven Teen Arrested By ICE Freed After 44 Days In Federal Custody
New Haven Teen Arrested By ICE Freed After 44 Days In Federal Custody A New Haven teenager taken into custody by federal immigration officials has been released after spending more than six weeks in federal detention. Esdras R., an 18-year-old immigrant from Central America and a rising junior at Wilbur Cross High School, was freed Tuesday, Sept. 2, after posting a $1,500 bond, according to the advocacy group CT Students for a Dream.  He had been held for 44 days in multiple detention facilities across three states. Original: 'Unconscionable': New Haven High School Student Detained By ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Esdras…

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by Josh Lanier
New Haven, CT
Your Community
CT Teachers Turn To GoFundMe As Classroom Costs Soar CT Teachers Turn To GoFundMe As Classroom Costs Soar CT Teachers Turn To GoFundMe As Classroom Costs Soar
CT Teachers Turn To GoFundMe As Classroom Costs Soar School is in session for nearly every student in Connecticut.  While families have seen increased prices while back-to-school shopping, local teachers are also facing a big challenge — covering classroom expenses that keep rising. With budgets stretched thin, more educators are leaning on their own wallets and, increasingly, on community support. According to the Learning Policy Institute, 95 percent of teachers report spending their own money on supplies. The strain has pushed many to seek help online. Many have turned to fundraising sites like GoFundMe to help keep their classrooms s…

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by Josh Lanier
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