Jon Craig

Reporter

[email protected]

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

Taconic State Parkway Stretch In Putnam County Is A Very Rough Ride Taconic State Parkway Stretch In Putnam County Is A Very Rough Ride Taconic State Parkway Stretch In Putnam County Is A Very Rough Ride
Taconic State Parkway Stretch In Putnam County Is A Very Rough Ride CARMEL, N.Y. -- Putnam County roadways, for the most part, are relatively pothole-free.  But brace yourself for a very rough ride on the Taconic State Parkway when crossing through Putnam County -- in either direction. The surface of the parkway is pitted, uneven and has degraded significantly during the past month between Route 6 near the Shrub Oak/Mahopac exit all the way north past Fahnestock State Park in Carmel, right up to Putnam's border with Dutchess County near Interstate 84. State Department of Transportation crews weren't working on the Taconic's bumpy pavement on Friday a…
Voters Say Purchase Free Library Should Not Be Evicted From Community House Voters Say Purchase Free Library Should Not Be Evicted From Community House Voters Say Purchase Free Library Should Not Be Evicted From Community House
Voters Say Purchase Free Library Should Not Be Evicted From Community House This story has been updated. PURCHASE, N.Y. -- Purchase Free Library will remain within its "home" of nearly 90 years following a vote of residents verified on Friday.. The vote of adults living within the Purchase Elementary School District was completed Wednesday during a meeting at Purchase Community House, 3095 Purchase St. Purchase Community Inc. (PCI) owns the building occupied by the library and serves as its landlord.  "It was a long night for everyone and the Inspector did not finish counting the ballots until (Friday) afternoon,'' according to James Kelly, director of Purch…
Park Experts, Police Discuss Deer Management During White Plains Forum Park Experts, Police Discuss Deer Management During White Plains Forum Park Experts, Police Discuss Deer Management During White Plains Forum
Park Experts, Police Discuss Deer Management During White Plains Forum WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Public officials and residents heard a wide range of strategies for deer management on Thursday during a conference at the Westchester County Center. Options ranged from darts carrying contraceptives, as being tested in Hastings-on-Hudson, to bow hunters in county parks and in Pound Ridge, to sharpshooters hired by Vassar College in Poughkeepsie. Teatown Lake Reservation tried sharpshooters in the winter of 2014, killing 11 deer, and archers this past fall, when 35 deer were killed on the reserve's 800 acres in Ossining. Wildlife experts agreed it takes many yea…
Celebratory Reception For Rye Scholar-Athletes Set To Play College Sports Celebratory Reception For Rye Scholar-Athletes Set To Play College Sports Celebratory Reception For Rye Scholar-Athletes Set To Play College Sports
Celebratory Reception For Rye Scholar-Athletes Set To Play College Sports RYE, N.Y. -- Twenty-three Rye High School seniors who have committed to playing sports in college were recognized during an after-school reception on Wednesday. The graduating Garnets strolled out in their prospective college t-shirts and caps, thanking parents, teachers and coaches for their challenges and fond memories in Rye. The high school stars talked about their daily regimen, which included daily runs, swimming for five hours and waking to row at 4:45 a.m. -- well before sunrise. Rye Athletic Director Rob Castagna said, "The parent support is paramount." Hannah Krapes, who…
Developer Unveils Plan For Transformed United Hospital Site In Port Chester Developer Unveils Plan For Transformed United Hospital Site In Port Chester Developer Unveils Plan For Transformed United Hospital Site In Port Chester
Developer Unveils Plan For Transformed United Hospital Site In Port Chester PORT CHESTER, N.Y. -- A Greenwich, Conn., developer detailed plans Tuesday for the 15-acre site that has been idle for a decade after the closure of United Hospital. The first artists' renderings of a vision to transform the site were released late Tuesday by the Boston Post Road property owner and affiliates of Starwood Capital Group, a global real estate investment firm based in Greenwich. The renderings reveal a pedestrian-friendly rebirth of part of the village of Port Chester now dominated by traffic to/from Interstates 287 and 95 and local shopping plazas. Last week, Starwood r…
Westchester Business Developers, Officials Gather In Tarrytown Conference Westchester Business Developers, Officials Gather In Tarrytown Conference Westchester Business Developers, Officials Gather In Tarrytown Conference
Westchester Business Developers, Officials Gather In Tarrytown Conference TARRYTOWN, N.Y. -- At an economic conference on Tuesday, commercial developers and local officials agreed that Westchester must attract younger residents to remain vital 20 years from now. About 200 business leaders and elected officials heard survey results indicating that most young professionals aspire to own a home with a yard someday. While the county population is more diverse than 20 years ago, workers between the ages of 20 and 30 cannot afford to live here.  The discussion, sponsored by the Business Council of Westchester, was titled "Navigating Westchester: Threading the Needl…
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 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
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
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 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…
10,681 - 10,690 of 11,056 articles