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'Specific Threat' Leads To Shift To Remote Learning At School District In Westchester 'Specific Threat' Leads To Shift To Remote Learning At School District In Westchester
'Specific Threat' Leads To Shift To Remote Learning At School District In Westchester A threat described by district officials as being "specific" has prompted a  school district in Westchester to switch to remote learning on Friday, Dec. 17. "This morning, we learned about a specific threat made on Snapchat against the high school," Pelham Public Schools Acting Superintendent of Schools Dennis R. Lauro said in an email to the school community. "Out of an abundance of caution, all of our schools will shift to a full virtual day, today, Friday, Dec. 17." Westchester County Police Department issued an alert on Thursday, Dec. 16 after getting a tip from its School Resource…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Westchester County, Local Police Caution Of School Threats Made On TikTok Westchester County, Local Police Caution Of School Threats Made On TikTok
Westchester County, Local Police Caution Of School Threats Made On TikTok County and local police in Westchester are on high alert after there were multiple discussions about potential school shootings or bomb threats made on social media. An alert was issued by Westchester County Police Department after it received a tip from its School Resource Officer Program about purported threats made on TikTok regarding a potential incident on Friday, Dec. 17. Similar threats have been reported elsewhere in the region, including in Connecticut. Investigators noted that the posts were general in nature, did not target any individual school or location, and the threat level…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
School District In Westchester Cautions About Dangers Of 'TikTok Challenges' School District In Westchester Cautions About Dangers Of 'TikTok Challenges'
School District In Westchester Cautions About Dangers Of 'TikTok Challenges' A Hudson Valley school district is cautioning parents to be wary of recent “TikTok Challenges” that have become popular among school-aged children and could pose a potential safety threat. The New Rochelle School District became the latest to issue a notice to the community regarding TikTok users who have been sharing monthly “challenges” that encourage children to perform criminal acts and post them on social media. According to officials, last month, the challenge involved vandalizing school property, and this month’s challenge persuades students to assault teachers and/or staff members. …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
'Devious Licks' Social Media Challenge Leads To Criminal Charges For Kids Across US 'Devious Licks' Social Media Challenge Leads To Criminal Charges For Kids Across US
'Devious Licks' Social Media Challenge Leads To Criminal Charges For Kids Across US Some students are facing legal troubles after taking part in a controversial social media trend. The "Devious Licks" challenge on the TikTok app encourages people to steal or vandalize school property. Many students have targeted their school's bathrooms, stealing soap dispensers, clogging toilets, and more.  Some students are reportedly facing criminal charges. A 15-year-old was arrested in Arizona for stealing a school toilet paper dispenser, authorities reported. Some students are now being required to keep their phones on their desks so they can’t make recordings in school bathro…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Woman Says She Picked Up Missing NY Native's Boyfriend Hitchhiking Alone In Wyoming Woman Says She Picked Up Missing NY Native's Boyfriend Hitchhiking Alone In Wyoming
Woman Says She Picked Up Missing NY Native's Boyfriend Hitchhiking Alone In Wyoming Authorities are speaking with a woman who claims she picked up Brian Laundrie, who was hitchhiking alone in Wyoming around the time his girlfriend, New York native Gabby Petito, age 22, disappeared. TikToker Miranda Baker said she recognized Laundrie when Petito's story broke on social media and realized he was the person she and her boyfriend gave a lift to on Sunday, Aug. 29. Laundrie and Petitto are both from the Long Island hamlet of Blue Point in Suffolk County. Earlier report: Boyfriend Of Missing New York Woman Has Disappeared, Police Say In a series of TikTok videos, Baker sa…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
13-Year-Old Dies After Attempting TikTok 'Blackout Challenge' 13-Year-Old Dies After Attempting TikTok 'Blackout Challenge'
13-Year-Old Dies After Attempting TikTok 'Blackout Challenge' A family grieving the loss of their son to a TikTok challenge is warning other families of the danger. Western Massachusetts resident Nate Squires, a 13-year-old eighth-grader at Amherst Regional Middle School, was found unresponsive Monday, June 14, who died after attempting the new "Blackout Challenge" being touted on social media sites including TikTok. The challenge encourages children and teens to choke themselves until they lose consciousness.  The family said on a GoFundMe page, that Nate died after "succumbing to injuries of a horrible accident." They went on to say they "wan…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Social Media Stars' Visit To Area Pizzeria Shuts Down Eatery Social Media Stars' Visit To Area Pizzeria Shuts Down Eatery
Social Media Stars' Visit To Area Pizzeria Shuts Down Eatery When a couple who have become famous on social media ducked into a uber-popular pizzeria in Connecticut for a bite, the eatery ended up having to close its doors. That's what happened on Sunday, May 30 in Fairfield County, when the TikTok tandem of Dixie D’Amelio and Noah Beck paid a visit to Locali Pizza Bar & Kitchen in New Canaan, according to Jamie Caceres, a waiter at the restaurant. For those not in the know, D’Amelio, age 19, is a singer from Norwalk who has more than 52.1 million followers on the app. Her boyfriend, Beck, age 20, has some 27.3 million followers for his mostly p…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Man Admits To Posing As Teen To Receive Explicit Videos Of Fairfield County Girl Man Admits To Posing As Teen To Receive Explicit Videos Of Fairfield County Girl
Man Admits To Posing As Teen To Receive Explicit Videos Of Fairfield County Girl This story has been updated. A 36-year-old out-of-state man has pleaded guilty to the distribution of child pornography in connection with a Fairfield County case. Brian Grinnell, of Lakewood, Ohio (near Cleveland), pleaded guilty on Monday, April 19 in Hartford for posting nude videos of a 12-year-old New Canaan girl on a popular video-sharing service, said Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2020, Grinnell posed as a 15-year-old girl and met a New Canaan girl, who at the time w…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Vaccine Rivalry? Comparisons Between Moderna, Pfizer Doses Can Get Heated COVID-19: Vaccine Rivalry? Comparisons Between Moderna, Pfizer Doses Can Get Heated
Covid-19: Vaccine Rivalry? Comparisons Between Moderna, Pfizer Doses Can Get Heated Are you Team Moderna or Team Pfizer? A good-natured rivalry has been brewing between those receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine versus the Pfizer vaccine as more doses have been made available to the majority of the public. Since Americans began receiving their initial doses of the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, photos of vaccination cards and celebratory videos of successful shots have flooded social media, with some on both sides taking playful jabs at the other in the process. Related story - COVID:19: COVID-19: Brand-New Study Compares Side Effects Of Pfizer, Moderna Va…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Westchester Middle School Students Caught In Racist Videos On Social Media Westchester Middle School Students Caught In Racist Videos On Social Media
Westchester Middle School Students Caught In Racist Videos On Social Media For the second time in a week, a Westchester school district is dealing with racist posts by students on social media. Videos of students in New Rochelle, some of whom have been confirmed to attend Albert Leonard Middle School, were involved in videos on multiple social media platforms that included ethnic slurs and language. The videos of students were reportedly on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and others using offensive racial slurs. “We are horrified to have learned about a vicious act of racism in the District perpetrated on social media, involving the vilest of ethnic slurs …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Westchester Native, Ousted Anchor Matt Lauer Resurfaces On Social Media Westchester Native, Ousted Anchor Matt Lauer Resurfaces On Social Media
Westchester Native, Ousted Anchor Matt Lauer Resurfaces On Social Media Disgraced former “Today” show anchor Matt Lauer is back in the spotlight. Lauer - who was fired by NBC nearly two years ago for inappropriate behavior amid the #MeToo movement - was back on social media this week, appearing on his daughter’s TikTok app social media account. In the video, Lauer lip-synchs to a popular song while his daughter, Romy, dances in the background. He also shows off some moves of his own later in the video. Lauer, who also has two sons, issued a statement responding to the allegations against him following his 2017 firing. More details are expected to come out wit…

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by Zak Failla