Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
SPLC Finds 4 Anti-Government Groups Active In MA; 1 In WesternMass SPLC Finds 4 Anti-Government Groups Active In MA; 1 In WesternMass
Splc Finds 4 Anti-Government Groups Active In MA; 1 In WesternMass The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified four anti-government groups active in Massachusetts, including one headquartered in a Western Massachusetts town. The center recently published a national list of what it considers anti-government groups and where they are located. The SPLC defines anti-government groups as congregations that believe, to some extent, in the “New World Order” conspiracy fantasy, which says that the United Nations is seeking to take away citizen property rights. In Massachusetts, the active anti-government groups are My Brothers Threepers, Constitution Party…

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by Kristin Palpini
Hackensack, NJ
News
Smiling 'Podium Guy' From Capitol Riot Arrested On Federal Warrant In Florida Smiling 'Podium Guy' From Capitol Riot Arrested On Federal Warrant In Florida
Smiling 'Podium Guy' From Capitol Riot Arrested On Federal Warrant In Florida Authorities arrested a Florida father of five who was photographed carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during this week's riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. Local residents who saw the viral photo of the smiling man in the red, white and blue wool Trump hat immediately dimed out Adam Christian Johnson, 36, of Parrish, FL after the FBI sought help identifying him and others whose images was captured in Wednesday's melee. He remained held on a federal U.S. Marshals warrant in the Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater, records show. That brings the total to more than 80 people…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Amherst, MA
Police & Fire
Right-Wing Extremist Kicked Out Of UMass Is Arrested For Hoax Bomb By BLM Sign Right-Wing Extremist Kicked Out Of UMass Is Arrested For Hoax Bomb By BLM Sign
Right-Wing Extremist Kicked Out Of UMass Is Arrested For Hoax Bomb By BLM Sign A local man who was kicked out of UMass Amherst last year for being racist was recently arrested after planting a fake bomb alongside a Black Lives Matter sign in New York. Louis Shenker, 22, who told police that he lives in Amherst, called Brooklyn Police around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5, to arrange for his surrender, according to the Daily News. Shenker has also lived in  Longmeadow. Shenker may have filmed himself leaving the fake bomb. Shenker was expelled from UMass in 2018 after taunting participants of a rally against white supremacy, racism, and Donald Trump, according to a l…

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by Kristin Palpini
Mount Pleasant, NY
Police & Fire
Police Investigation Underway After Black Lives Matter Yard Sign Is Defaced In Westchester Police Investigation Underway After Black Lives Matter Yard Sign Is Defaced In Westchester
Police Investigation Underway After Black Lives Matter Yard Sign Is Defaced In Westchester Police are investigating an incident involving the defacing of a Black Lives Matter yard sign in Westchester. Dobbs Ferry police said they received a complaint on Sunday, Dec. 13, from the village's Human Rights and Diversity Committee. Although the investigation is still active, Dobbs Ferry PD Lt. Martin Coster said there was no new information to report.  According to Coster, the sign, which was on the lawn of a family home, along with others on the street, had the word "Black" marked out and was replaced with the word "All." The committee said in a statement: "We strongly condemn …

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by Kathy Reakes
Hackensack, NJ
News
Bergen Sheriff: Eight Of 9 ICE Protestors Arrested Are From NY, Officers Pepper-Sprayed, Bit Bergen Sheriff: Eight Of 9 ICE Protestors Arrested Are From NY, Officers Pepper-Sprayed, Bit
Bergen Sheriff: Eight Of 9 ICE Protestors Arrested Are From NY, Officers Pepper-Sprayed, Bit A troubled but resolute Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton on Sunday said that he agrees with anti-ICE protestors but emphasized that "inciting chaos for the sake of chaos will not be tolerated." "What occurred yesterday was not a peaceful protest. It was not a productive act of political expression," the sheriff said during a news conference Sunday outside the jail in Hackensack. "What we saw yesterday was not, in the words of my hero, John Lewis, 'good trouble'." Cureton corrected social media errors -- noting, for example, that "tear gas was not employed" and that pepper spray was di…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Hartford, CT
News
KKK-Hooded Beer Should Not Have Gotten Bartender Fired, Says Lawsuit KKK-Hooded Beer Should Not Have Gotten Bartender Fired, Says Lawsuit
Kkk-hooded Beer Should Not Have Gotten Bartender Fired, Says Lawsuit A fired bartender is seeking more than $15,000 in damages and lost wages after attempting to serve a beer in a white KKK-type hood to two patrons. On Tuesday, Dec. 1, Nathan Thaller, of South Windsor, filed a lawsuit in Hartford Superior Court against World of Beer in West Hartford (WOB, LLC) claiming that the firing was a violation of his free speech. Thaller was fired in July. The incident began when two customers asked to try Omnipollo Brewery’s “Yellow Belly” beer, according to the lawsuit, which was filed on Thaller’s behalf by attorney Michael J. Reilly of Cicchiello & Cicchiello,…

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by Kristin Palpini
Mount Pleasant, NY
Schools
School District In Westchester Defends Ban On Staff Wearing Blue, Black Lives Matter Symbols School District In Westchester Defends Ban On Staff Wearing Blue, Black Lives Matter Symbols
School District In Westchester Defends Ban On Staff Wearing Blue, Black Lives Matter Symbols A Westchester school district is standing behind a new policy that bars staff members from wearing symbols that represent political speech. The Pelham Board of Education held a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 18 to address rising tensions that have arisen from Schools Superintendent Cheryl Champ’s decision to ban staff members from wearing anything that pertains to either the Black Lives Matter or Blue Lives Matter movements while on the job. Champ implemented the new policy after some staff members wore masks and other clothes that featured the Thin Blue Line Flag, typically a sign of tribute t…

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by Zak Failla
Englewood, NJ
Lifestyle
Kellyanne Conway's Teen NJ Daughter Teases 'American Idol' Audition Kellyanne Conway's Teen NJ Daughter Teases 'American Idol' Audition
Kellyanne Conway's Teen NJ Daughter Teases 'American Idol' Audition Will Kellyanne Conway's teen New Jersey daughter be the next American Idol? Alpine native Claudia Conway, 16, posted a TikTok video of herself in the show's confessional studio with a film crew Sunday, hinting that she'll be competing on the upcoming season, set to premier Feb. 14 on ABC. Judges will be Lion Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, with longtime host Ryan Seacrest. The teen, whose mom served as the counselor to President Trump's, sent shockwaves through the internet in June, when she took TikTok to share her anti-Trump views. “Believe it or not, you can have your own opini…

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by Cecilia Levine
Brookfield, CT
Police & Fire
Know Him? Police Asking For Help Identifying Alleged Fairfield County Robbery Suspect Know Him? Police Asking For Help Identifying Alleged Fairfield County Robbery Suspect
Know Him? Police Asking For Help Identifying Alleged Fairfield County Robbery Suspect Detectives are asking the public for help identifying a man who allegedly assaulted an 80-year-old man and stole money from the victim in Fairfield County. The incident took place on Tuesday, Oct. 22, when the man was assaulted and robbed while entering 55 Yacht Street in Bridgeport, said Bridgeport Capt. Brian. Fitzgerald. According to police, the victim reports that the man followed him home and entered the building under the guise that he was going to help him.  Once inside the building, the assailant pushed the victim into the elevator where he was assaulted and stole $60 from the…

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by Kathy Reakes
Springfield, MA
News
After Vandalism, Springfield Adding Second BLM Mural After Vandalism, Springfield Adding Second BLM Mural
After Vandalism, Springfield Adding Second BLM Mural After the first one was defaced three times, Springfield is getting a new, second Black Lives Matter mural. The new mural is going up Saturday, Oct. 10, on a wall at 232 Worthington St. starting at 9 a.m. The street mural in front of City Hall on Court Street has been defaced three times since it was first painted on Sept. 12. Each time, the mural has been restored. The second mural is a definite message to the specific vandals and racists everywhere: “The creation of this new mural is a direct response to the vandalism we are seeing repeatedly occur,” the Springfield Black Lives Matter…

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by Kristin Palpini
Lakewood, NJ
News
Prosecutor: Charge Dismissed Against BLM Leader Accused Of Punching Man At Boardwalk Protest Prosecutor: Charge Dismissed Against BLM Leader Accused Of Punching Man At Boardwalk Protest
Prosecutor: Charge Dismissed Against BLM Leader Accused Of Punching Man At Boardwalk Protest A 28-year-old Black Lives Matter leader accused of simple assault during an August protest had the charges against him dismissed. Jamaal Holmes, of Toms River, was charged with simple assault after police said he punched Robert Lay, 68, in the face during the protest. Holmes said he was simply protecting himself and never punched anyone, according to earlier news accounts. On Friday, Ocean County Bradley D. Billhimer agreed, saying the charge had been dismissed after interviews with witnesses and a review of video from the boarwalk. Several additional independent witnesses came f…

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by Jon Craig
Mount Pleasant, NY
News
Hateful Stickers Placed On Black Lives Matter Signs In Westchester Neighborhood Hateful Stickers Placed On Black Lives Matter Signs In Westchester Neighborhood
Hateful Stickers Placed On Black Lives Matter Signs In Westchester Neighborhood Racist stickers and signage posted in a Westchester neighborhood have caused concern for some in the community. In recent weeks, residents of the Rochelle Heights neighborhood in New Rochelle began putting up “Black Lives Matter” lawn signs that have subsequently been vandalized with hateful stickers. Dozens of white supremacist stickers were placed on both public and private signs throughout the tight-knit neighborhood, including some criticizing George Floyd, the man killed in Minneapolis by police in May that sparked nationwide protests and demonstrations. The stickers had messages tha…

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by Zak Failla