Tag:

Transparency

East Orange, NJ
Schools
East Orange Lays Off 90+ Teachers, Suddenly Schedules Half Day East Orange Lays Off 90+ Teachers, Suddenly Schedules Half Day
East Orange Lays Off 90+ Teachers, Suddenly Schedules Half Day A day after it laid off more than 90 teachers, the East Orange School District abruptly scheduled a half day for Thursday, Oct. 17. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, all schools will be on a half day schedule, today, October 17th," Superintendent Dr. Christopher Irving said. "We apologize for the late notice. Again, all students will be on a half-day schedule." On Wednesday, at a packed meeting, filled with concerned parents, teachers and coaches, the school board approved the elimination of 93 positions. Irving, who started as superintendent in July, said the moves were necessary with the …

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by Sam Barron
Paramus, NJ
News
Once-Thriving Celeb Messaging Site 'Cameo' Violated Federal Guidelines: New Jersey AG Once-Thriving Celeb Messaging Site 'Cameo' Violated Federal Guidelines: New Jersey AG
Once-Thriving Celeb Messaging Site 'Cameo' Violated Federal Guidelines: New Jersey AG Cameo, message site that allows you or someone you care about to receive a video message from a range of celebrities, admitted to violating Federal Trade Commission endorsement guidelines, Matthew Platkin, the New Jersey Attorney General said. The website, features a diverse group of celebrities like former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, British politician Nigel Farange and legendary professional wrestler Mick Foley, reached a settlement with the state after it alleged Cameo failed to provide appropriate disclosures to consumers purchasing these personalized videos for business or product endors…

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by Sam Barron
Waldorf, MD
Police & Fire
Police Sergeant In Maryland Pleads Guilty To Driving While Impaired, Sheriff Says Police Sergeant In Maryland Pleads Guilty To Driving While Impaired, Sheriff Says
Police Sergeant In Maryland Pleads Guilty To Driving While Impaired, Sheriff Says A suspended sergeant with the Charles County Sheriff's Office has admitted to driving under the influence in St. Mary's County, officials announced. In June, Sgt. Robert Smith was suspended with pay after the sheriff's office learned that he was being charged in the neighboring jurisdiction. The incident was reported on Tuesday, June 11 in Mechanicsville. Smith was off-duty at the time. This week, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of driving while impaired in St. Mary's County, the sheriff's office says. According to the agency, "upon learning of the investigation, the CCSO’s Office of Pr…

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by Zak Failla
Yorktown, NY
News
Yorktown Police Department To Be Outfitted In Body Cams Yorktown Police Department To Be Outfitted In Body Cams
Yorktown Police Department To Be Outfitted In Body Cams A Northern Westchester town has authorized outfitting its police department with body-worn cameras. In an announcement on Wednesday, June 5, the Yorktown Town Board said it has approved the purchase of body cameras for the Yorktown Police Department as part of an over $478,000 contract with Axon Enterprises.  Officers are expected to begin wearing the cameras during the summer.  Additionally, the five-year contract also includes the purchase of cloud storage and taser-like devices for the department, officials said.  The purchases follow a report on the town's police depart…

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by Ben Crnic
Ashburn, VA
Police & Fire
Leesburg Police Department Vows To Earn Back Accreditation Leesburg Police Department Vows To Earn Back Accreditation
Leesburg Police Department Vows To Earn Back Accreditation The Leesburg Police Department has been stripped of its accreditation.  But, it's determined to gain it back. In a statement posted to its website, the department said that the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) in December 2022 voted not to reaffirm its accreditation status, which it's held since Aug. 24, 2006. In early 2022, while in a period of transition between accreditation managers, the Leesburg Police Department discovered administrative errors that had been made during previous accreditation terms (one-year time periods), the statement sa…

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by Cecilia Levine
Monsey, NY
Police & Fire
NY AG Releases Body-Cam Video Of State Police Deadly Shooting In Hudson Valley NY AG Releases Body-Cam Video Of State Police Deadly Shooting In Hudson Valley
NY AG Releases Body-Cam Video Of State Police Deadly Shooting In Hudson Valley New York Attorney General Letitia James has released police body-worn camera footage of the shooting death of a motorist by New York State Police in the Hudson Valley in January.  The incident occurred in Rockland County on the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 3 in Ramapo. According to the AG's Office, troopers Steven Missale and Ronald Raymond pulled over a car on the New York State Thruway based on a report about an incident that had taken place earlier the same day in Albany.  Rakim Tillery, age 35, address unknown, was the driver of the car. Tillery fired a gun at the troopers, …

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by Kathy Reakes
Albany, NY
Politics
'Divisive' Bill Targeting Asylum-Seekers Shot Down By County Lawmakers In Capital Region 'Divisive' Bill Targeting Asylum-Seekers Shot Down By County Lawmakers In Capital Region
'Divisive' Bill Targeting Asylum-Seekers Shot Down By County Lawmakers In Capital Region County lawmakers in the region have voted down a resolution that would have tracked the amount of public funds that are spent on migrants arriving from New York City. Following a lengthy debate Monday evening, Aug. 14, the Democrat-controlled Albany County Legislature rejected a bill introduced by Republicans that sought to document the financial impact of asylum-seekers, migrants, and those experiencing homelessness. The move failed by a vote of 23 to 9. Supporters had argued that the bill would improve transparency and better position Albany County to shoulder financial impacts in the fu…

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by Michael Mashburn
Towson, MD
News
Archdiocese Of Baltimore Will Not Oppose The Release Of Priests Accused Of Abuse Archdiocese Of Baltimore Will Not Oppose The Release Of Priests Accused Of Abuse
Archdiocese Of Baltimore Will Not Oppose The Release Of Priests Accused Of Abuse Vowing to be committed to transparency, the Archdiocese of Baltimore announced it will not interfere with Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh’s motion to release a lengthy report detailing the abuse of hundreds of victims. Last week, Frosh filed a motion to release the 463-page report, which identifies 158 priests who were either “credibly accused” of sexual abuse or who were accused and never publicly identified by the Archdiocese. The report also identifies more than 600 victims. "We believe that transparency is necessary to rebuild the trust that has been damaged by evil acts of abuse…

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by Zak Failla
Bristol, PA
Politics
Ex-Stripper Running For Congress In Philadelphia: 'Elect Hoes' Ex-Stripper Running For Congress In Philadelphia: 'Elect Hoes'
Ex-Stripper Running For Congress In Philadelphia: 'Elect Hoes' Alexandra Hunt isn't shying away from her former career as a stripper in her run for Congress in Philadelphia— she's leaning into it. The 28-year-old leftist running for Congress in the city's 3rd District took a vow of transparency about her dancing days and an abortion at 18 years old in a recent OpEd for Daily Kos, making honesty the foundation of her campaign platform. Alexandra HuntAlexandra Hunt campaign photo "As I prepared to enter the political world as a candidate, I made promises that I would not leave anyone behind and that I would be honest about my experiences, including m…

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by Cecilia Levine
White Plains, NY
Politics
Transcripts Of Cuomo Being Questioned About Sex Abuse Allegations Made Public By AG Transcripts Of Cuomo Being Questioned About Sex Abuse Allegations Made Public By AG
Transcripts Of Cuomo Being Questioned About Sex Abuse Allegations Made Public By AG Living up to her promises of transparency, New York Attorney General Letitia James began releasing transcripts and exhibits from her office’s independent investigation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. James announced the beginning of a rolling release of transcripts and corresponding exhibits from the investigation into sexual harassment allegations that led to Cuomo’s downfall and subsequent resignation. According to James, following the release of the report, multiple district attorneys asked that her office refrain from publicly releasing transcripts and other evidence so that their offices …

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by Zak Failla
Yorktown, NY
News
COVID-19: Hochul Reveals Thousands More Deaths Than Cuomo Reported COVID-19: Hochul Reveals Thousands More Deaths Than Cuomo Reported
Covid-19: Hochul Reveals Thousands More Deaths Than Cuomo Reported New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new administration has acknowledged nearly 12,000 more COVID-19 deaths across the state that had not been counted by her predecessor during the pandemic. Hochul, who vowed to be transparent during her inaugural address to New Yorkers, included a count of 55,395 Covid deaths in New York — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tally — in a press release released this week. Related story - COVID-19: Info On Masks Among Students, Vaccines For School Personnel Outlined By Hochul The number includes deaths from the virus throughout New York, and is higher …

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by Zak Failla
Brentwood, NY
Politics
COVID-19: Schools Must Require Vaccines For All Personnel, Hochul Says COVID-19: Schools Must Require Vaccines For All Personnel, Hochul Says
Covid-19: Schools Must Require Vaccines For All Personnel, Hochul Says New York Gov. Kathy Hochul laid out plans for her administration’s first days in office during her inaugural address after succeeding Andrew Cuomo in Albany. In her first address as governor, delivered on Tuesday, Aug. 24, Hochul addressed getting all school personnel vaccinated for COVID-19, improving the vaccination rate in the state, and getting New Yorkers back to work as the battle with the Delta variant of the virus rages. Related story - COVID-19: Info On Masks Among Students, Vaccines For School Personnel Outlined By Hochul “To the New Yorkers who are yet to meet me, I’ll …

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by Zak Failla
DV Plus - Westchester, NY
Politics
Greenburgh Supervisor Challenged In November For First Time Since 2007 Greenburgh Supervisor Challenged In November For First Time Since 2007
Greenburgh Supervisor Challenged In November For First Time Since 2007 One of Westchester County's longest-serving town supervisors is facing a rare challenge at the polls this fall. For the first time in a dozen years, longtime Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner, a Democrat and former county legislator, will have an opponent on Nov. 5. Independent challenger Lucas Cioffi will be on the ballot this fall appearing on the Greenburgh Party line. Feiner has served the town as supervisor for the last 28 years. The last time he faced any opposition was in the 2013 Democratic primary election, which Feiner won. Cioffi, a 39-year-old software engineer and entrepreneur…

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by Jon Craig
Mount Pleasant, NY
Politics
NY Lawmakers Vote To Release Trump's State Tax Returns To Congress NY Lawmakers Vote To Release Trump's State Tax Returns To Congress
NY Lawmakers Vote To Release Trump's State Tax Returns To Congress New York State lawmakers are one step closer to gaining access to President Donald Trump’s state tax returns. The New York State Assembly passed legislation on Wednesday, May 22 which would amend the law to allow the state Department of Taxation and Finance to release the tax returns of elected officials. The bill is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo later this month if it also passes in the Senate. It was approved by an 85-49 vote in the Assembly. The legislation only applies to state returns, not federal returns, which have also been at the center of the battle between …

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by Zak Failla
Mount Vernon, NY
Politics
Mount Vernon Mayor Wins Decisive Court Victory Over City Official Mount Vernon Mayor Wins Decisive Court Victory Over City Official
Mount Vernon Mayor Wins Decisive Court Victory Over City Official Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas is going to open up the books and investigate the city’s finances after winning a decisive court ruling over Comptroller Deborah Reynolds. Supreme Court Justice Susan Cacace ruled this week that Reynolds is to stop blocking Thomas’ administration’s access to printed and online financial records that will “allow him to determined how much money the city truly has.” Thomas and Reynolds have been butting heads for months, with both pointing fingers at each other for the city’s woes, financially and otherwise. “This court finds that the drafters of the City Ch…

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by Zak Failla
Paterson, NJ
News
List Of Paterson Diocese Sex-Abuse Priests Released, Names Of Parishes Withheld List Of Paterson Diocese Sex-Abuse Priests Released, Names Of Parishes Withheld
List Of Paterson Diocese Sex-Abuse Priests Released, Names Of Parishes Withheld The Paterson Diocese on Wednesday released its list of priests accused of sexual abuse but didn't identify their parishes. "You don't need to know that information," a Paterson Diocese receptionist told Daily Voice. "All that you see is what has been approved by the bishop." Most were removed from the ministry. Several have died. Dozens of Bergen County priests and their parishes were identified Wednesday by the Newark Archdiocese. Bishop Arthur Serrattelli called the publication of the list a tragedy. "Our society and certain members of the Church have failed children," he said. T…

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by Jerry DeMarco
White Plains, NY
News
Westchester County Police To Get 150 Body Cameras Westchester County Police To Get 150 Body Cameras
Westchester County Police To Get 150 Body Cameras The Westchester County Department of Public Safety is going to receive more than $60,000 from the state to outfit officers with body cameras. Westchester was awarded $61,209 to purchase 150 body cameras, which are expected to create the Westchester County Depart Public Safety’s body-worn camera program. The grant is part of a $1 million statewide initiative spearheaded by Attorney General Barbara Underwood. In total, 13 law enforcement agencies across the state received funding to purchase nearly 1,000 body-worn cameras and more than 250 body-worn camera systems. The money was made availab…

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by Zak Failla
Hackensack, NJ
Police & Fire
Crime Pays -- For Hackensack Police Dashcams Crime Pays -- For Hackensack Police Dashcams
Crime Pays -- For Hackensack Police Dashcams Money and property seized from criminals is paying to put video cameras in all 30 Hackensack Police Department patrol cars, authorities said. “This dispels false claims against police officers while serving the interests of the public,” Capt. Frank Aquila said. “Transparency is always a primary interest,” Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse added. “And what better way is there to be transparent than to monitor all traffic stops with this device? "In this day and age, where we have seen so many incidents captured on police cameras, it is best for the protection of our police officers, as we…

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by Jerry DeMarco