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Mount Vernon High School

Schools
School District In Westchester Marks Highest Graduation Rate In Over 20 Years School District In Westchester Marks Highest Graduation Rate In Over 20 Years
School District In Westchester Marks Highest Graduation Rate In Over 20 Years A school district in Westchester has bounced back from a turbulent year by recording its highest graduation rate in more than two decades.  In an announcement on Friday, Sept. 20, the Mount Vernon City School District revealed its 2023-2024 graduation rate had climbed to 79.9 percent, a level not seen in over 20 years, according to the district.  The rate increased 5.6 percentage points over the previous school year, officials added.  Graduation rates for individual schools in the city were recorded as: Mount Vernon High School: 82.7 percent; Denzel Washington School of th…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
New Update: More Details Emerge About Stabbing At High School In Westchester New Update: More Details Emerge About Stabbing At High School In Westchester
New Update: More Details Emerge About Stabbing At High School In Westchester Authorities have released more information about those involved in a stabbing at a Westchester County high school, including details about the young suspect.  The incident happened on Thursday, May 9 around 2:45 p.m. at Mount Vernon High School, when a fight broke out among several students, according to city officials. Earlier Report - Young Person Stabbed At High School In Westchester: Suspect In Custody The fight eventually resulted in a 15-year-old boy sustaining several stab wounds. Mount Vernon Police soon arrived at the school and found the victim before he was taken to Ja…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Young Person Stabbed At High School In Westchester: Suspect In Custody Young Person Stabbed At High School In Westchester: Suspect In Custody
Young Person Stabbed At High School In Westchester: Suspect In Custody A suspect is in custody following a stabbing at a Westchester high school that left one person hospitalized.  New, updated report - New Update: More Details Emerge About Stabbing At High School In Westchester The incident happened on Thursday, May 9 around 2:45 p.m., when a stabbing was reported at Mount Vernon High School, according to city officials. Arriving police found a youth victim with multiple stab wounds who was soon taken to Jacobi Medical Center.  They are now in stable condition, officials said. One suspect was apprehended at the scene by police. The Mount Ver…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Nelson Mandela's Grandson Visits Schools In Westchester, Encourages Students To Serve Community Nelson Mandela's Grandson Visits Schools In Westchester, Encourages Students To Serve Community
Nelson Mandela's Grandson Visits Schools In Westchester, Encourages Students To Serve Community Students at two Westchester schools were treated to a visit from the grandson of famed activist and politician Nelson Mandela, who encouraged them to take some time to give back to their communities and stand up for others.  Ndaba Mandela, the grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela, visited the Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School and Mount Vernon High School on Tuesday, Nov. 21, Mount Vernon City School District officials announced. During his visits to the schools, Mandela discussed his grandfather's legacy and his activism efforts and also participated…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Support Pours In For Daughter Of Popular CBS Meteorologist, Westchester Native Elise Finch Support Pours In For Daughter Of Popular CBS Meteorologist, Westchester Native Elise Finch
Support Pours In For Daughter Of Popular CBS Meteorologist, Westchester Native Elise Finch As viewers mourn the loss of CBS New York's Emmy Award-winning meteorologist Elise Finch, people are beginning to come together to help support the daughter she now leaves behind.  Finch, a Westchester County native, died at the age of 51 over the weekend of Saturday, July 15, WCBS announced.  Earlier Report - Popular TV Meteorologist, Mount Vernon HS Grad Elise Finch, Dies At Age 51 She had been on the station since 2007 and was beloved by viewers over the length of her career, becoming a familiar sight for those who tuned in during the morning hours.&…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Student Leaves School With Loaded Gun, Leads Officers On Chase In Westchester Student Leaves School With Loaded Gun, Leads Officers On Chase In Westchester
Student Leaves School With Loaded Gun, Leads Officers On Chase In Westchester A 16-year-old student faces charges after possessing a loaded gun at a Westchester high school and leading officers on a pursuit outside the building, officials said. The arrest followed an incident on Thursday, July 27 around 10:30 a.m., when Mount Vernon High School officials told the city's police department that they had found a student in possession of a loaded handgun and that the juvenile had left school grounds, according to Mount Vernon city officials.  Officers then responded to the area of the high school and began searching for the student, ultimately locating them walking …

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by Ben Crnic
News
Family Suing Westchester City, School, Police Over Cheerleading Stabbing Attack Family Suing Westchester City, School, Police Over Cheerleading Stabbing Attack
Family Suing Westchester City, School, Police Over Cheerleading Stabbing Attack The family of a cheerleader who was stabbed during an attack at a high school parade event in Westchester that killed her friend plans to sue the city, the school district, and the police department. Attorney Lauren P. Raysor announced on Friday, June 23 in Mount Vernon, the lawsuit will be filed on behalf of Nicole Duncan, the mother of Mainece Simpson, a student at Mount Vernon High School and a member of the school’s cheerleading team who was stabbed numerous times by a rival cheerleader but survived.  Officials said that shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Mount Vern…

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by Kathy Reakes
Obituaries
'Helpful, Dependable': Westchester Man Dies At 26 After Crash 'Helpful, Dependable': Westchester Man Dies At 26 After Crash
'Helpful, Dependable': Westchester Man Dies At 26 After Crash A 26-year-old man from Westchester who was killed in a motorcycle crash is being remembered for his dependable nature and positive energy.  Yonkers resident Robert Sean "Lucky" Romney died on Tuesday, May 30 at the age of 26 after a fatal motorcycle crash, according to his obituary.  Born in Georgetown, Guyana in 1997, Romney moved to the United States in 2010 and first attended school in Brooklyn before moving to Mount Vernon, where he lived for most of his teenage and adult life.  During this time, Romney became a standout track and field athlete at Mount Ve…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
HS Senior In Westchester Offered $500,000 In Scholarships, 5 Full Rides HS Senior In Westchester Offered $500,000 In Scholarships, 5 Full Rides
HS Senior In Westchester Offered $500,000 In Scholarships, 5 Full Rides A high school senior from Westchester diagnosed with a learning disability proved anything is possible by being offered a total of $500,000 in scholarships and five full rides from 15 colleges.  Mount Vernon High School senior Mia Vaquero, who will be graduating in June, was accepted into 15 schools and offered a cumulative $500,000 in scholarships, Mount Vernon City School District officials announced on Wednesday, May 24.  The first person in her family to pursue a college education, Vaquero was inspired to work hard in school after seeing how much her parents, who cam…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
2 Students Found With Gun, Knife At Schools In Westchester On Same Day: Officials 2 Students Found With Gun, Knife At Schools In Westchester On Same Day: Officials
2 Students Found With Gun, Knife At Schools In Westchester On Same Day: Officials Two students in both a middle and high school in a city in Westchester were arrested after they were found with a gun and a knife in unrelated incidents, officials said.  The separate incidents happened in two schools in Mount Vernon on Friday, April 21, according to Mount Vernon city officials.  The first incident happened around 8 a.m. when Mount Vernon High School officials told police that they had discovered a student in possession of a knife.  Police then arrived at the school, confiscated the knife, and took the 15-year-old student into custody. The student, who was t…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Thousands Raised For Family Of Slain Teen 'Taken Away From Us Much Too Soon' In Westchester Thousands Raised For Family Of Slain Teen 'Taken Away From Us Much Too Soon' In Westchester
Thousands Raised For Family Of Slain Teen 'Taken Away From Us Much Too Soon' In Westchester A community is pulling together to help lay an 18-year-old shooting victim to rest in Westchester as his family mourns his loss.  Tamani Turner, also known as Tajohn, died on Thursday night, April 6 after he was shot twice in the chest in Mount Vernon on Garden Avenue just south of East 4th Street.  Born in 2005, Turner grew up in Mount Vernon and eventually became a gifted football player, at one point attending Archbishop Stepinac High on a sports scholarship.  At the time of his death, Turner had been a student at Mount Vernon High School and had been out on spr…

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by Ben Crnic
News
18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Westchester Was High School Student On Spring Break 18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Westchester Was High School Student On Spring Break
18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Westchester Was High School Student On Spring Break New update - Murder Of Teen In Westchester: 33-Year-Old Suspect Apprehended An 18-year-old who was fatally shot in Westchester was a high school student who had been on spring break, school officials said.  Tomani Turner, age 18, died on Thursday night, April 6 after he was shot twice in the chest in Mount Vernon on Garden Avenue just south of East 4th Street just after 12:30 p.m. earlier in the day, according to city officials.  Earlier Report - ID Released For 18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Mount Vernon; Suspect On Loose Turner was a student at Mount Vernon High School …

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by Ben Crnic
Sports
Coach On Top Of College Basketball World Spent 10 Years Guiding Team In Hudson Valley Coach On Top Of College Basketball World Spent 10 Years Guiding Team In Hudson Valley
Coach On Top Of College Basketball World Spent 10 Years Guiding Team In Hudson Valley The first-year Division I head coach who's now at the top of the men's college basketball world guides Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. But 51-year-old Tobin Anderson has strong ties to both New York and Connecticut. Bracket-busting FDU became just the second No. 16 seed to defeat a top seed when the Knights stunned Purdue 63-58 Friday night, March 17 in Columbus, Ohio. FDU was a 23.5-point underdog. "We just made history, college basketball history tonight," Anderson told his team in the locker room after the game. "From four wins last year -- it's one of the most u…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
15-Year-Old Gets Years In Prison For Fatally Stabbing Westchester Cheerleading Captain 15-Year-Old Gets Years In Prison For Fatally Stabbing Westchester Cheerleading Captain
15-Year-Old Gets Years In Prison For Fatally Stabbing Westchester Cheerleading Captain A teenage girl will spend years behind bars for fatally stabbing a 16-year-old cheerleading captain in Westchester County, officials said. Earlier Report - Teen Girl Admits To Fatally Stabbing Mount Vernon Cheerleading Captain: DA The 15-year-old, who was not named because of her age, was sentenced to three to nine years in jail on Tuesday, Jan. 24 for the April 8, 2022 killing of 16-year-old Kayla Green in Mount Vernon, according to Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah. On the day of the stabbing, around 4 p.m., the teenager stabbed Green in the abdomen foll…

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by Ben Crnic
Legal
Teen Girl Admits To Fatally Stabbing Cheerleading Captain In Westchester County: DA Teen Girl Admits To Fatally Stabbing Cheerleading Captain In Westchester County: DA
Teen Girl Admits To Fatally Stabbing Cheerleading Captain In Westchester County: DA A teenager has admitted to fatally stabbing a 16-year-old cheerleading captain in Westchester County, officials said.  Earlier Report - Teen GirI Indicted For Fatal Stabbing Of Mount Vernon Cheerleading Captain The 15-year-old defendant, who was not identified, pleaded guilty to the April 8, 2022 killing of 16-year-old Kayla Green in Mount Vernon on Tuesday, Dec. 20, according to Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah.  On the day of the stabbing, around 4 p.m., the defendant stabbed Green in the abdomen during the Mount Vernon High School’s celebratory parade on&…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Thousands Raised To Help Cheerleading Team In Westchester Compete In National Championship Thousands Raised To Help Cheerleading Team In Westchester Compete In National Championship
Thousands Raised To Help Cheerleading Team In Westchester Compete In National Championship A community is pulling together to help give a Westchester County cheerleading team the opportunity of a lifetime.  Thousands of dollars have been raised for the Mount Vernon High School Cheerleading team, which has qualified to compete in the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, according to head coach Mekiyah Knox.  To be able to compete in the championship though, which will be held from Friday, Feb. 10 through Sunday, Feb. 12, the team needs to raise money to pay for travel expenses, lodging fees, accommodations…

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by Ben Crnic
News
'It's Long Overdue': Westchester County Officials Unveil New $40M Memorial Field Complex 'It's Long Overdue': Westchester County Officials Unveil New $40M Memorial Field Complex
'It's Long Overdue': Westchester County Officials Unveil New $40M Memorial Field Complex Officials unveiled the long-awaited new Memorial Field Complex in Westchester County. The ribbon-cutting event for the newly-updated field in Mount Vernon, hosted by Westchester County Executive George Latimer and City of Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard on Wednesday, Sept. 21. The project cost a total of $40 million, and the new stadium has 3,900 seats, a lighted field equipped for football, soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey, along with a sound system that can handle major concerts, officials said.  On Saturday, Sept. 24, the field will host its first Mount Vernon Hig…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Hundreds Attend Anti-Violence Rally After Fatal Stabbing Of Cheerleader At Westchester Parade Hundreds Attend Anti-Violence Rally After Fatal Stabbing Of Cheerleader At Westchester Parade
Hundreds Attend Anti-Violence Rally After Fatal Stabbing Of Cheerleader At Westchester Parade It was a sea of pink and white balloons in downtown Mount Vernon as hundreds showed up to celebrate the life of 16-year-old Kayla Green, who was fatally stabbed during a victory parade for the high school’s basketball championship. The city held an anti-gun rally and separate vigil on Monday, April 11 in the wake of the fatal incident on Friday, April 8 that left the popular cheer captain dead. Original story - Girl Killed In Stabbing During Mount Vernon Parade Was Cheerleading Captain Green was critically stabbed by a 15-year-old assailant during the parade celebrating the Mount Vernon Hi…

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by Zak Failla
News
Girl Killed In Stabbing During Parade In Westchester Remembered As Popular Cheerleading Captain Girl Killed In Stabbing During Parade In Westchester Remembered As Popular Cheerleading Captain
Girl Killed In Stabbing During Parade In Westchester Remembered As Popular Cheerleading Captain A Westchester community is in mourning after a popular teen remembered as a cheerleading captain and honor roll student was fatally stabbed during a parade celebrating her high school basketball team’s state championship. Officials said that shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday, April 8 in Mount Vernon, a fight broke out during the high school’s celebratory parade between multiple girls that left two with stab wounds. One teen suffered non-life-threatening lacerations, while the other, later identified as 16-year-old Kayla Green, suffered a critical stab wound and died from her injuries en route…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Shots Fired Outside High School In Westchester Shots Fired Outside High School In Westchester
Shots Fired Outside High School In Westchester A high school was locked down and security was beefed up after gunshots rang out near the building. In Westchester, police officials in Mount Vernon confirmed that there were at least three gunshots fired near the high school on Monday afternoon, Feb. 7, leading to a temporary lockdown and subsequent increased security around the building on Tuesday, Feb. 8. The gunshots were fired shortly before 2:30 p.m., officials said. No injuries were recorded and three shell casings were found at the scene. In a statement, Mount Vernon Schools Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton said the gunfire came fr…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Education Officials Express Outrage After Multiple Bomb Threats Called Into Westchester Schools Education Officials Express Outrage After Multiple Bomb Threats Called Into Westchester Schools
Education Officials Express Outrage After Multiple Bomb Threats Called Into Westchester Schools Some top officials in one of Westchester’s largest school districts have expressed outrage after being among the county’s school districts targeted by schemers making threats. In the span of three days this week, four schools in Westchester - Yonkers Middle/ High School, Mount Vernon High School, Blind Brook High School, and the Yonkers Montessori Academy - were forced to evacuate students and staff due to unfounded threats that were reported.  Each of the threats proved to be unfounded, and responding police investigators found no credible threat at any of the buildings. 
“Our school…

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by Zak Failla
News
New Bomb Threat Leads To Evacuation At School In Westchester New Bomb Threat Leads To Evacuation At School In Westchester
New Bomb Threat Leads To Evacuation At School In Westchester For the fourth time in three days, students and staff at a Westchester school were forced to evacuate due to a bomb threat. On Thursday, Sept. 30, the Yonkers Fire Department evacuated the Yonkers Montessori Academy due to a threat made at the school. School officials said that “all of the children and staff are safe and under the supervision of teachers and administrators.” Elementary students were taken to Yonkers Raceway, while Middle and High School students were at St. Marks Lutheran School while the building was inspected. There have been no reports of any danger at the school. No …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Students At Westchester High School Evacuated After Bomb Threat Students At Westchester High School Evacuated After Bomb Threat
Students At Westchester High School Evacuated After Bomb Threat Students and staff at a Westchester high school were forced to temporarily evacuate the building after a bomb threat was received, according to officials. Mount Vernon High School was evacuated on Tuesday, Sept. 28 after the undisclosed threat was made, with students allowed to re-enter the building at approximately 3 p.m. School officials said that the threat was made at approximately 1 p.m., but did not disclose what the threat was or through what means it was delivered. Emergency personnel searched the building for any suspicious devices, but no credible threat was discovered. 
“Pleas…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Police Investigate Reports Of Shots Fired Near High School In Westchester Police Investigate Reports Of Shots Fired Near High School In Westchester
Police Investigate Reports Of Shots Fired Near High School In Westchester Police investigators in Westchester are seeking the public’s assistance as they attempt to track down suspects who were involved in a shooting near an area high school as students were being dismissed. The Mount Vernon Police Department received a report of shots fired in the area of Mount Vernon High School on California Road shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 13. Upon arrival, police said that officers interviewed several witnesses who said that shots were fired from a passing vehicle in the area of the high school. The shooting incident took place a few hundred feet away from th…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
Westchester HS Grad Wins Silver Medal At Olympics Westchester HS Grad Wins Silver Medal At Olympics
Westchester HS Grad Wins Silver Medal At Olympics It took a world record-breaking effort to keep a former Hudson Valley high school track standout from the top of the podium at the Tokyo Olympics in a race for the ages. Both Norway’s Karsten Warholm and the United States’ Rai Benjamin, a Mount Vernon High School star athlete in Westchester, broke the previous world record in the 400-meter hurdle, though the Hudson Valley native found himself coming up just short against his nemesis. Warholm finished with a 45.94 mark, breaking the world record he previously set of 46.70. Benjamin also crushed the previous record, finishing with a 46.17 to …

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by Zak Failla
Sports
These Hudson Valley Athletes Will Be Competing At Olympics These Hudson Valley Athletes Will Be Competing At Olympics
These Hudson Valley Athletes Will Be Competing At Olympics Some of the Hudson Valley's top athletes will be wearing the red, white, and blue in Tokyo as they represent the country at the upcoming summer Olympic Games in Japan. The summer games will include more than two dozen athletes from New York - featuring a group of prominent players from the Hudson Valley - who are looking to etch their marks in history with an Olympic medal. Athletes from the region set to compete for medals are: Patrick Kilvehan, age 31, of West Nyack, who will be making his Olympic debut after playing baseball and football at Rutgers University before being drafted by t…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Westchester Baseball Coach Accused Of Having Relationship With Player, Police Say Westchester Baseball Coach Accused Of Having Relationship With Player, Police Say
Westchester Baseball Coach Accused Of Having Relationship With Player, Police Say A baseball coach in Westchester is facing charges for allegedly having improper contact and a relationship with a former player, police said. Robert Pope, age 30, the owner and head coach of Mount Vernon Baseball, an independent organization, was arrested following an investigation into allegations of him having improper contact with a minor. On Monday, June 14, the Mount Vernon Police Department was alerted to allegations that a baseball coach in the city was allegedly engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old former player. Police said that the mother of the alleged vic…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
High School Football Players Injured During Shooting In Westchester High School Football Players Injured During Shooting In Westchester
High School Football Players Injured During Shooting In Westchester Two teenagers suffered gunshot wounds in what has been described as a “random act of violence” while walking home from a party in Westchester, officials said. Gunshots rang out in Mount Vernon at approximately 1 a.m. near the intersection of 14th Street and West 1st Avenue on Sunday, June 13, with bullets striking 18-year-old Tommy Guest, and his cousin, 16-year-old Jarred Collins. Police said that one was struck by a bullet in the leg, and while the other was not struck by the hail of gunfire, he broke his leg while attempting to flee. Both were taken to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bron…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
Former Westchester High School Basketball Standout Inks Deal With Wizards Former Westchester High School Basketball Standout Inks Deal With Wizards
Former Westchester High School Basketball Standout Inks Deal With Wizards A former high school basketball standout from the Hudson Valley is taking his talents to Washington, D.C. Mount Vernon native Marlon Taylor, a rookie in the NBA who went undrafted, has signed an Exhibit 10 contact with the Washington Wizards after starring for two years in college at LSU, where he won an SEC Championship. Taylor joins a team that features Russell Westbrook, Robin Lopez, Shabazz Napier, and Bradley Beal, among other NBA playmakers. Under an Exhibit 10 contract, Taylor, 23, is expected to receive a modest signing bonus to suit up for the Wizards during the preseason before …

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by Zak Failla
News
Officials Unveil Latest Proposal For New $25M Memorial Field In Westchester Officials Unveil Latest Proposal For New $25M Memorial Field In Westchester
Officials Unveil Latest Proposal For New $25M Memorial Field In Westchester After years of consternation, debate, and bickering, a true revitalization of Memorial Field is underway in Westchester. Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced a $25 million plan that could see the once-vibrant Mount Vernon park operational as soon as 2021. The county has committed $20 million to the project, with the rest set to come from the state. According to Latimer, the proposal would include an NCAA football field that could also double as a soccer, lacrosse or field hockey field, as well as a high school-certified eight-lane track. There would be a skateboard park, t…

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by Zak Failla
News
Former Westchester HS Football Standout Killed In Shooting Former Westchester HS Football Standout Killed In Shooting
Former Westchester HS Football Standout Killed In Shooting A former Westchester high school football standout who was a two-time junior college all-American at Nassau Community College killed in a shooting in Phoenix. Lance McDowdell, 25, a member of the Arizona Rattlers professional indoor football team, was found with a gunshot wound in the driveway of a Phoenix apartment complex on Friday morning, Dec. 20 before being rushed to a local hospital, where he died. No motive for the shooting has been established yet and no suspect or suspects have been identified.  "Lance represented the Rattlers organization with pride and dedication…

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by Joe Lombardi