NY Teen’s Killing Spurs Memorial Tree, Annual Dance Sponsorship: ‘More Than A Tragic Statistic' NY Teen’s Killing Spurs Memorial Tree, Annual Dance Sponsorship: ‘More Than A Tragic Statistic'
NY Teen’s Killing Spurs Memorial Tree, Annual Dance Sponsorship: ‘More Than A Tragic Statistic' A national youth advocacy foundation is honoring the life and legacy of 18-year-old Emily Finn with a permanent memorial and a new annual sponsorship for aspiring dancers, weeks after the Long Island college freshman was killed in what prosecutors called an execution-style shooting. The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation — also known as The Uvalde Foundation For Kids — announced the expanded tribute this week, describing it as a way to turn grief into meaningful action in Finn’s name. As part of its national Trees for Peace initiative, the foundation will plant a memorial tree for Finn in t…
Newlywed, ‘Devoted’ Volunteer Suffered Emergency Before Fatal Crash Into NY Storefront Newlywed, ‘Devoted’ Volunteer Suffered Emergency Before Fatal Crash Into NY Storefront
Newlywed, ‘Devoted’ Volunteer Suffered Emergency Before Fatal Crash Into NY Storefront Loved ones are revealing new details about a Long Island man who was killed in a high-speed car crash into a vacant storefront. Scott Letizia, 42, of Patchogue, died Tuesday evening, Dec. 2, at NYU Langone Hospital–Suffolk, one day after the early-morning crash, as Daily Voice reported. Letizia was driving a Honda Accord when it blew through the intersection of North Ocean Avenue and Main Street around 5:40 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1, and slammed into a commercial building, Suffolk County Police said.  No other vehicles were involved, and nobody else was injured. The commercial space was va…
CT Grandfather Killed In NY Hunting Cabin Shooting Remembered For Big Laugh, Bigger Heart CT Grandfather Killed In NY Hunting Cabin Shooting Remembered For Big Laugh, Bigger Heart
CT Grandfather Killed In NY Hunting Cabin Shooting Remembered For Big Laugh, Bigger Heart The Connecticut grandfather, 70, who was shot dead along with his brother in a New York hunting cabin, is being remembered for his big laugh and sharp sense of humor. Mark D. Thompson, of Canterbury, was shot to death on Nov. 23 in the tiny town of Allen, New York, about an hour south of Rochester. Thompson was on a hunting trip with his brothers, David E. Thompson, 69, of Port Charlotte, Florida, and their younger brother, Scot D. Thompson, 65, of Englewood, Florida. Police say the youngest brother shot the older two before driving off in one of their vehicles. He was captured soon after a…
Well-Known Hudson Valley Farming Icon Dies: 'Friend To Many' Well-Known Hudson Valley Farming Icon Dies: 'Friend To Many'
Well-Known Hudson Valley Farming Icon Dies: 'Friend To Many' The Hudson Valley farming community is mourning the loss of a longtime farm owner who spent his life doing what he loved.  Carl “Rick” Vreeland, the longtime owner of Freedom Hill Farm in Otisville, died on Friday, Nov. 28, at the age of 72, according to his obituary.  The announcement was made by the farm, located at 115 Grange Rd., which said it was heartbroken to share the news and expressed condolences to his family.  Vreeland, 72, was a lifelong Orange County resident and a well-known figure in local agriculture. According to his obituary, he was born in Middletown…
Cause Of Death Released For Hollywood Star Diane Ladd, Mother Of Actress Laura Dern Cause Of Death Released For Hollywood Star Diane Ladd, Mother Of Actress Laura Dern
Cause Of Death Released For Hollywood Star Diane Ladd, Mother Of Actress Laura Dern A cause of death has now been released for Diane Ladd, the Oscar-nominated actress and mother of Laura Dern, who died earlier this month at age 89. According to a death certificate obtained by People, Ladd died of acute on chronic hypoxic respiratory failure on Mon., Nov. 3. She was cremated a week later, on Mon., Nov. 10, the outlet reported. Ladd’s career spanned more than seven decades, earning her acclaim for roles in both film and television.  Earlier report: Acclaimed Hollywood Star Diane Ladd Dies She received three Oscar nominations, including for her performance as Fl…
Remains Of Man Missing Since 2004 Pulled From CT Lake Remains Of Man Missing Since 2004 Pulled From CT Lake
Remains Of Man Missing Since 2004 Pulled From CT Lake Connecticut detectives, working with a state anthropologist, have identified the remains of a man found in a lake last month as a man who went missing in 2004, authorities said.  Connecticut State Police were called to Mansfield Hollow Lake on Oct. 5 after someone spotted human remains floating on the surface.  After a month of investigation and DNA testing, police have identified those remains as Robert Cavanaugh, who had been missing since Christmas Eve 2004. Police said they believe he left a suicide note at his home before leaving.  He was 51 when he disappeared.&nb…
Hudson Valley Dad, 35, Dies Suddenly; Community Rallies Around Widow, 2 Kids Hudson Valley Dad, 35, Dies Suddenly; Community Rallies Around Widow, 2 Kids
Hudson Valley Dad, 35, Dies Suddenly; Community Rallies Around Widow, 2 Kids Support is pouring in for the heartbroken widow and two children of a Hudson Valley man who died unexpectedly. Westchester's Hernan Kenny, of Pelham Manor, died Monday, Nov. 10, at Jacobi Hospital at the age of 35, according to his obituary. A cause of death was not given. Born in Santiago, Chile, Kenny was a longtime Westchester resident who leaves behind a wife and two young sons “who were the center of his world,” his memorial said. He graduated from Pelham Memorial High School, where he played football and lacrosse. He later earned a finance degree from Fordham University’s Gabelli Sch…
Teen Killed In Car Fire Was ‘Good-Hearted Guy’ Building First Corvette In Rensselaer: Friends Teen Killed In Car Fire Was ‘Good-Hearted Guy’ Building First Corvette In Rensselaer: Friends
Teen Killed In Car Fire Was ‘Good-Hearted Guy’ Building First Corvette In Rensselaer: Friends A young Rensselaer County man who died when the car he was working on erupted in flames is being remembered by family and friends as a good-hearted car enthusiast. North Greenbush Police identified 19-year-old Jason Cupp Thursday, Nov. 13, days after he was killed in a vehicle fire on Judd Lane in Wynantskill, as Daily Voice reported. The fire broke out shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, in a residential driveway, where a passerby discovered a vehicle fully engulfed and attempted to put out the flames with a garden hose, police said. The passerby then realized someone was trapped benea…
Sister Pleads For Justice After Brother's Murder On Quiet NY Street: 'Showed Up For Anyone' Sister Pleads For Justice After Brother's Murder On Quiet NY Street: 'Showed Up For Anyone'
Sister Pleads For Justice After Brother's Murder On Quiet NY Street: 'Showed Up For Anyone' Grief is turning to anger for a Long Island family in the wake of a man’s murder on a quiet Stony Brook street. Christopher Millwater, 52, of Selden, was found fatally injured along Shore Road, near the Stony Brook Yacht Club, around 3:40 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10, Suffolk County Police said. UPDATE: A suspect has been arrested. Click here for our updated article.  He was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, as Daily Voice reported. His death was quickly ruled a homicide. No suspects had been arrested as of Wednesday, Nov. 12, and investigators did not sp…
NY Native Sally Kirkland, Oscar-Nominated Actress, Dies NY Native Sally Kirkland, Oscar-Nominated Actress, Dies
NY Native Sally Kirkland, Oscar-Nominated Actress, Dies Sally Kirkland, an Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actress, has died. The 84-year-old's death came early Tuesday, Nov. 11, at a hospice in Palm Springs, California, days after entering the facility, her agent said, according to NBC News. She had been battling dementia and other health complications, including infections in her final years. Born on Oct. 31, 1941, in New York City, Kirkland was raised in a creative household. Her mother, Sally Kirkland Sr., was a prominent fashion editor for Vogue and LIFE magazines.  Kirkland began her career Off-Broadway before transitioning…
Jimmy Kimmel's Beloved Bandleader, Childhood Friend Cleto Escobedo III, Dies At 59 Jimmy Kimmel's Beloved Bandleader, Childhood Friend Cleto Escobedo III, Dies At 59
Jimmy Kimmel's Beloved Bandleader, Childhood Friend Cleto Escobedo III, Dies At 59 Cleto Escobedo III, Jimmy Kimmel's longtime bandleader and childhood friend, has died at the age of 59.  Kimmel announced the news Tuesday, Nov. 11, in an emotional Instagram post, sharing his heartbreak over the loss of someone he had been inseparable from since they were children. Click here for a new, updated story: After Bandleader's Death, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Halts Production For Rest Of Week "Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III," Kimmel wrote. "To say that we are heartbroken is an understateme…
Dick Cheney Dies: Redefined Role Of Vice President Dick Cheney Dies: Redefined Role Of Vice President
Dick Cheney Dies: Redefined Role Of Vice President Dick Cheney, the forceful vice president who reshaped the office into a center of power and drove the post‑September 11 war on terror, has died at 84, his family announced. His family announced his death Tuesday, Nov. 4, citing complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. “His beloved wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and other family members were with him as he passed,” the family said, adding that he died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.  He served as the 46th vice president from 2001 to 2009 under President Georg…